COMING SOON

Hers are the specs for Arrow's forthcoming Blu-ray release of Dario Argento's INFERNO which will also be available in SD.

Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned art work

- Double-sided fold out Poster

- Collector’s Booklet featuring brand new writing on Inferno by Alan Jones, author of Profondo Argento

- High Definition Presentation of the film (1080p)

- Optional 7.1 DTS-HD/2.0 Stereo Audio

SPECIAL FEATURES:

- Introduction to Inferno by star Daria Nicolodi

- Dario's Inferno (16 mins interview with Dario Argento)

- Acting in Hot Water: An Interview with Daria Nicolodi (18 mins interview)

- The Other Mother: Making the Black Cat (16 mins) In 1989 director Luigi Cozzi (a long time friend and collaborator of Dario Argento) decided to make the unofficial follow-up to Inferno and 'complete' the Three Mothers legacy. This feature looks at the torrid history of The Black Cat, with plenty of clips too!

- Dario Argento: An Eye for Horror (57 mins) Mark Kermode narrates this documentary on Argento’s career including interviews with George A. Romero and John Carpenter

- The Complete Dario Argento Trailer Gallery [18 films]

- Easter Egg (5 mins of Dario Argento in English, with random memories of Inferno)

VOTE FOR THE BEYOND

Euro cult movie buffs should head over to The Cult Lab Forums where aficionados are invited to vote for their format(s) of choice for a release of Lucio Fulci's THE BEYOND. The forums are packed with a friendly and enthusiastic fanbase, and here you will get the lowdown on the latest DVD and Blu-ray releases from the wonderful Arrow who have just released a feature-packed Blu-ray of CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD which is already shaping up to be one of this year's finest.

Why not sign up and cast your vote for one of Lucio Fulci's finest films. Just click HERE

HAPPY 2OTH ANNIVERSARY VIDEO WATCHDOG

It was 1990 when I first caught sight of Tim & Donna Lucas' VIDEO WATCHDOG. I was in London's Forbidden Planet, killing time before some gig/football match/ film, when I found myself picking up a magazine in the movie section. Three minutes later and I exited FP, clutching the very first issue Of VIDEO WATCHDOG. I recall settling down in one of London's watering holes, and read this debut issue from cover to cover, enthralled by Tim's article on a Spanish filmmaker named Jess Franco. I'd previously viewed 3-gen boots of the likes of VENUS IN FURS and SUCCUBUS, and promised myself I'd devote more time to Franco's wonderfully perverse world.

Although I never got round to becoming a VW subscriber, I began to collect this magazine on a regular basis, obtaining copies from various UK stores and specialist indie retailers.
From VHS to Laserdisc, from DVD to Blu-ray, from monochrome to full colour issues. It's been one hell of a ride and still is. Tim and his wonderfully gifted band of reviewers offer informative and entertaining reviews and features, which are graced by Donna's layout and design expertise.

Along the way, we've enjoyed special editions, a VW book and Tim & Donna's Mario Bava tome, "All The Colours Of The Dark". This is simply the finest book on film I've ever read (it's much more than a study of the great man), and I'm proud to see my name included amongst its patrons.
While every single issue has much to enthuse over, like anyone else I have my favourites. For me, the following are 10 of my firm favourites.

1/ Issue # 1. Franco and Venezuelan Video.

2/ Issue # 6. The Exorcist special!

3/ Issue # 13. Manhunter and Rampage. We need a loaded spec ed DVD for the latter.

4/ Issue # 19. A marvellous Dracula special.

5/ Issue # 29. Robocop.

6/ Issue # 38. Living Dead Dawn/Night.

7/ Issue # 81. If you doubt the greatness of Ridley Scott's HANNIBAL, you should read this!

8/ Issue # 121. Terrific Renfield article.

9/ Issue # The Wallace Krimis.

10/ Issue # 142. The Prisoner.

For devotees of Fantastic Cinema, VW is not only a publication that increases appreciation of the films we love, but also for discovering new delights.
Tim and his writers share the ability to engage the interest of their audience about films they may have previously dismissed after just one viewing, or maybe even highlight a genre that may have held little interest. It's the way they write about film that seduces their readers into giving movies, books and soundtracks a second (or maybe first) chance.

So, as we await the publication of issue # 157 which marks the 2oth anniversary of VW, we can reflect on the enormous changes that have taken place regarding how we watch films and how we see them.

Let's raise our glasses to Tim & Donna.

MARTIN

Now, how does the song go? "No Elvis, Beatles or Rolling Stones in 1977". Well, some of you may be tempted to add vampires to the list when considering George A. Romero's Martin. Here, the titular character (played by John Amplas) is a young man who becomes a victim of his deranged uncle Cuda (Maazel). Forced to work in Cuda's store and placed under a night-time curfew, Martin is befriended by cousin Christine (Forrest), who spends her time railing against Cuda's outdated beliefs and dealing with her unreliable boyfriend (fx supremo Tom Savini). Cuda believes Martin is one of nine family members marked by the curse of Nosferatu: a theory substantiated by his predeliction for female flesh and blood. As Martin slowly gets into character, he exhibits a greater degree of confidence when dealing with his (mostly) female victims, and becomes a regular caller to a late-night radio chat show, claiming he's an 84 year-old vampire. As the body count increases, Martin begins to harbour very real doubts regarding his ability to continue evading the law.

So, where does fantasy end and reality begin? Romero's film is peppered with stark monochrome flashbacks showing Martin being welcomed by his victims and hunted by those who wish him dead.While it's open to debate whether these are replays of past events or simply feverish daydreams, the latter seems far more likely, given the somewhat (intentionally?) fractured staging of some of the scenes.

Romero originally pitched a running time of 135 minutes for this film, which leaves us some 40 mins adrift for this truncated version. Unfortunately, the gaps show. Martin's relationship with an attractive older woman (Nadeau) simply cries out for extended screen time, making his transformation from a virtual necrophiliac into a capable lover seem more like an eleventh-hour re-write, rather than a considered character development. Similarly, Cuda's meeting with a priest schooled in 'the old ways' and their subsequent attempted exorcism are too close together to really gel, and leave one yearning to see the director's original cut: a disconcerting state of affairs, because there are moments when Martin comes very close to representing Romero's best work. The opening scene where Martin creates terror on the tracks - attacking a young woman (Middleton) in her train carriage - works wonderfully well, combining past and present by imaginative use of the flashback device. Martin's encounter with an unfaithful housewife and her lover scores even higher, with Romero stoking up on suspense and letting the scene run to a dramatic conclusion. This particular set piece, coupled with a scene in a children's playground, is the flip side of Carpenter's Halloween, but coming several months earlier: one can't help but wonder what would have happened if Romero's film had enjoyed the same breaks as Carpenter? Martin VIII: 'Blood On The Net'? Maybe not, but this slow-burning account of mental illness and its cause and effect remains an important work. If the hugely under-rated Jack's Wife is Romero's feminist film, then Martin explores the male psyche with just as conviction.

Arrow's Region 2 DVD is a huge shot in the veins for those who missed out on Anchor Bay's Region 1 disc (now OOP). Although Arrow's disc does not include the Romero/Amplas/Forrest commentary track, it remains an absolutely essential purchase for any self-respecting Romero buff.From a presentational viewpoint, this is the best looking version of Martin I've seen though it's never been a film that's stood out in terms of eye-popping colour. In 2003, there's still a grainy look to the film ( due to the photography, rather than any failing with the disc) but colours look a lot more stable than we're used to.

Arrow have also included a 14 minute documentary - with German audio and English subtitles - which contains footage from Night Of The Living Dead, Dawn Of The Dead, The Crazies and Martin, together with Romero's thoughts on the aforementioned films. While we don't learn a great deal that's new, it's nice to watch Romero at work on his Dawn set and the picture quality of the clips offer a nostalgic glimpse of life before DVD. Also included are a couple of radio spots, and the splendid original theatrical trailer shot from a different perspective than is normally the case for these '3 minute wonders'.

Romero's legendary 3 hour director's cut - stolen from him many years ago - will likely never be seen, leaving us with an uneven film which, nontheless, does hit the heights on several occasions. Maybe it's best to let the 'real' Martin rest in peace and attempt to make sense of what's left.

At the beginning of June, we have a new release of MARTIN to look forward to from Arrow Films here in the UK;

Features include: the original theatrical cut of the film with 5.1 and Stereo audio options plus a choice of 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratio presentations; ‘Wampyre’ – the Italian cut of the film, featuring Italian dialogue (with optional English subtitles) and musical score by Goblin; ‘Making Martin: A Recounting’; Documentary on George A. Romero; TV and radio spots; original theatrical trailer; photo gallery; four sleeve art options; double sided poster; exclusive collector’s booklet; six original poster art postcards.As far as I'm aware, the Wampyre cut has some scenes shuffled round. Unfortunately, the materials aren't good enough for a Blu-ray release, but this loaded DVD will do nicely.

LET THE WRONG ONE IN

So, it seems we are on the verge of 'enjoying' either a minority government, or an administration borne out of deals struck with Nick Clegg; a man whose political party failed to build on little more than optimism.

Welcome to David Cameron: a man who believes that Great Britain was the only country in the world to be struck by recession, and who clearly intends to look after the wealthy and to hell with everyone else. I'll certainly add my voice to those who believe our electoral system needs a major overhaul and lament the fact that -for some - things are going to get a whole lot worse.

HARRY BROWN

England 2009. Gangs of feral teens rule our streets, with guns, knives and alcohol-fueled acts of violence creating abject misery for those unlucky enough to merely breathe the same air.

Meet Harry Brown: ex Marine and old aged pensioner who visits his comatose wife in hospital, and enjoys a pint with close friend Leonard (David Bradley) just to remind himself he's still alive.
We're in the East End of London here, and it soon becomes apparent that the low life scum who see the area as their 'manor' are making life hell for the residents of a squalid council estate.

When Brown (beautifully played by Michael Caine) receives an urgent call summoning him to his wife's bedside, his decision not to take a shortcut through a nearby subway costs him the chance to bid his spouse one last goodbye.
Soon, Harry's life is blighted a second time and something inside him snaps, compelling him to wage a one-man war on the hoodlums who frequent the shadowy depths of the subway, and regularly invade the homes of frightened citizens.

HARRY BROWN has, inevitably, drawn comparison with Clint Eastwood's powerful GRAN TORINO and it's a worthwhile comparison with Eastwood's film more measured but not necessarily more passionate. Scorsese's TAXI DRIVER may also be a nostalgic line of reference; particularly the scene where Brown is shown an array of weapons during a tense encounter in a drug dealers den.
While some of the characters in this film are none too well drawn - particularly the forces of law & order - HARRY BROWN is ultimately a hard-hitting account of the way things are in a country crying out for a drastic change in the way we deal with what are quite simply monsters. Michael Caine excels as the OAP vigilante, inspiring a whole range of emotions and, I strongly suspect, a widespread fervent wish that more Harry Brown's would rise up and conduct a much-needed spring clean of our streets.
Yes, the violence is explicit at times and the language is way past industrial but there's a real humanity in evidence that is extremely moving.

BACK SOON (HAHA)

Even lighter on posting than usual at the moment.
Unfortunately, Meneieres Disease has been up and about lately doing its absolute worst, and a back injury sustained at work makes doing pretty much anything very painful.

Just when things seemed to be improving very slightly, Meneiere's struck again. This time, a dizzy spell knocked my off my feet and sent me toppling backwards into the bathtub. Ouch!! End result being my back is even more f***** than it was before.

So, I'm still managing to go to work but that's about all. Back here soon as I heal up a little.

RIP Malcolm McLaren

Born on 22nd January 1946, Malcolm McLaren had his fingers in a good many pies, ranging from retail to music, television and even considered throwing his hat into the ring for the Mayor Of London 'contest'.
Of course, Malcolm will be best remembered for his role as the former manager of the Sex Pistols. In the 1970s', the music scene in the UK had become stale and monumentally boring. Without really knowing it, we were crying out for some excitement. For someone to stand up and deliver the rallying cry of "Fuck You" to politicians, musicians and the bosses who ripped us off in search of yet another holiday in the sun. A few kindred spirits sensed the mood, did the decent thing and formed bands. Others followed. Cue "Anarchy In The UK". First time I encountered this call to arms was on the late, great John Peel radio show and it damn near took my head off. A rabble-rousing introduction to one of the greatest bands ever to come out of the UK.

History records that McLaren and one John Lydon ended up in court, following accusations of unpaid revenues and sundry misdemeanours.
There'[s no doubt that McLaren was an expert at building up the hype and seemed to take pride at the fact that many local councils actually banned The Pistols from playing, thereby denying punters the chance of seeing the group onstage. Yes, he was a canny businessman - a bit to canny, I'd say - but he seemed to have a sharp mind, always searching for the next big thing and then moving on when a project went belly up. Love him or hate him, MM was there at the start and played an important part in a true musical revolution.

Malcolm died earlier today in New York and will be buried in London's famous Highgate Cemetary.

RIP I'll miss you.

DRAG ME TO HELL. BLU-RAY

This frenetic, endlessly entertaining film sees Sam Raimi going back to his roots and having an absolute ball doing what many would say he does best.
DRAG ME TO HELL opens in Pasadena, where a Mexican couple take their young son to a medium. Following the theft of jewelry from a band of gypsies, the little boy has been plagued by sights and sounds of a demonic nature, and the power from beyond the grave is sufficient to defeat his would-be saviour.
40 years later, ambitious loan officer Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) is vying for promotion with her backstabbing co-worker, and hopes to demonstrate she's as tough as nails by turning down a mortgage extension by a down-on-her-luck gypsy who begs her for another chance. Christine just about survives a terrifying assault when the gypsy mounts a revenge attack, and finds her problems have only just begun as a series of physical and visual manifestations propel her towards the medium who must once again do battle with the forces of darkness.

With a multitude of 'JUMP' moments, and a nice mixture of gross-out horror and pure slapstick, DRAG ME TO HELL scores highly on entertainment with its breathless style rampaging through a remarkably quick 99m running time. Depending on your mood, you'll either be rooting for the main players or hoping they get their just deserts as almost every member of the cast is driven by greed and self-advancement. I have to say I enjoyed every minute, and we even get a nice old school nod to the classic NIGHT OF THE DEMON towards the end.

Lionsgate's Blu-ray contains 2 versions of this film, including the 'Unseen'version which adds several snippets not seen at the cinema; mostly extra blood during the scenes where she squirts blood from her nose, and is covered by the gypsy's brain matter.
Overall, this is one of the best Blu-ray transfers I've seen to date, and it's hard to find any problems regarding picture quality. Fleshtones are wonderfully vivid, and colours repeatedly pop, while night-time scenes reveal bags of detail.
Fingers crossed it won't be too long before Raimi hooks up with horror again.

THE HURT LOCKER BLU-RAY

Kathryn Bigelow first came to my attention by way of NEAR DARK: a modern day interpretation of things that go bite in the night that - for me- is right up there with other genre heavyweights from Ferrara, Romero and Jordan.
Since then, she's moved onto far more populist areas of cinema, en route to the ultimate accolade for any director.

Set in Iraq, THE HURT LOCKER centres on bomb disposal in one of the most dangerous places on earth, with Bravo Company facing one more month in their tour of duty.
William James (Jeremy Renner) arrives to replace a colleague he never knew,who died attempting to diffuse an explosive device. James quickly demonstrates his ability and courage, whilst also exhibiting a reckless spirit that may well put more than his own life at risk.

Of course, just about every Oscar success story has its own band of detractors and while Bigelow's film has received much critical acclaim, there have been a good number of pointed fingers signaling this film is over-hyped and delivers a disappointing ending.
For me, THE HURT LOCKER is absolutely solid on the acting front, and beautifully paced with nerve-shredding situations punctuating the comaderie and tensions that exist between the troops: just like the hell hole it depicts, an attack can come at any time in Bigelow's film and careful deployment of the savage fire of conflict or the carnage caused by explosions make them hit home all the harder. As far as the ending is concerned, all the information you need has played out in the preceding 2 hours and makes perfect sense.


Having reluctantly missed this film during its theatrical run, I plumped for a rental copy of the UK Blu-ray release, and found the transfer to be first-rate. Skin tones are realistic, there's bags of detail in the night-time scenes, while colours pop when they should. In fact there's little or nothing to criticise here, but the same cannot be said for the paucity of additional material. One would hope that a more loaded special edition will surface in the not-too-distant future, and I'm sure that will indeed be the case.

More artwork from Arrow

Takes you back to the golden age of UK video sleeves.
Nice job, Arrow.

CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD: CHOOSE YOUR OWN DESIGN

Arrow's forthcoming CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD Blu-ray will offer 4 alternate cover designs. The above is my current favourite.

THE FIRM REMAKE

Released in 1989, THE FIRM would prove to be Alan Clarke's most personal film, and would also turn out to be his last. This is a hard-hitting portrayal of a group of football hooligans who contemplate joining forces with rival gangs for the upcoming European Championships. With a fine central performance from Gary Oldman, THE FIRM certainly raised a few hackles from the authorities who were considering the introduction of id cards for those attending games, as well as providing an authentic account of the so-called 'Hoolie Wars' that took place all over the country.

Now, we have a remake on our hands - directed by Nick Love - which was recently released on DVD & Blu-ray. Here, the role of gang leader Bex is played by Paul Anderson, who acquits himself well in Oldman's role. Once again, the possibility of rival firms teaming up takes centre-stage, though there's also a very strong message concerning the dangers of hero worship that should ring warning bells for those engaged in similar pursuits.
Dom (Calum McNab) first encounters Bex in a nightclub and after being firmly put in his place, makes strenuous attempts to get noticed and gain acceptance by West Ham's notorious 'Inter City Firm'. Before long, Dom finds himself on the front line of violent confrontations, but a series of pre-arranged meets and violent off-the cuff ambushes leave him on the back foot in an attempt to get out.

Overall, THE FIRM captures the 80s' with a high degree of accuracy, bolstered by Love's own experiences, with the rival gangs' 'face-offs' recalling the sort of things that occurred every weekend in every city. Those who simply write this film off - sight unseen - as just another mindless hooligan flick should be aware that Love has delivered a film that's as much about friendship - lost, regained and ill-advised - as football violence.

The Blu-ray release is as image-sharp as one would expect for a recent release, and some worthwhile extras are included, together with a director's commentary track.

COMING SOON

Both Blue Underground and Arrow will be releasing CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD in April.
Stay tuned for a review.

ITALIAN HORROR IS ALIVE AND WELL

As a keen supporter of Italian Horror, it's always nice when new DVD releases and rare cinema screenings are announced. In the last two days, a trio of Italia-related news items have come to my attention ; the first concerning Lucio Fulci's CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD.
Fulci's wonderfully atmospheric film will be released in the UK on both SD and Blu-ray formats, in April. Extra features will be announced shortly. I know Blue Underground will also be releasing a Blu around the same time, in the US, which will be region-free.

Staying with Fulci, and moving onto the Glasgow Frightfest bash which will be held Feb 26th/27th. Fulci fans will surely be excited by the promise of fully-restored, re-mastered and LONGER cut of A LIZARD IN A WOMAN'S SKIN.

For me - a lot closer to home - the news of SUSPIRIA on the big screen is just as enticing as the above news. 26th Feb sees Argento's classic playing at Derby's excellent Quad Cinema just 13 miles from where we live. This screening will be introduced by my good friend Darrell Buxton. Unfortunately, an 11.00pm start time and the prospect of a costly cab ride back means we won't have the money to attend, but will be there in spirit.
Good indie cinemas are few and far between, so if you are lucky enough to have one nearby and can afford to visit, I do urge you to support them.

SUSPRIA BLU-RAY

American student Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper) arrives at The Tanz Akademie school of dance in Frieburg, Germany, during a torrential rainstorm. Before she's even got inside the door, a frightened young woman exits the building uttering words that are mostly drowned out by the thunder. The next day, Suzy's induction is blighted by news of a murder. Soon, Bannion must face the powers of darkness who use the Akademie as a front for witchcraft.

Right from the word go, SUSPIRIA drags us headlong into a fairytale world, punctuated by bloody murders, and the terrifying thought that there truly is "magic all around us". Of course, Argento detractors often label this as a case of a little style over no substance, but many of us have never had a problem buying into this eye candy world of bright lights and the darkest of shadows. Bolstered by the presence of such luminaries as Joan Bennett and Alida Valli, SUSPIRIA benefits hugely by the presence of Jessica Harper who impressed Argento with her performance in PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE. Harper - an iconic image of 70s' cinema - is perfect as the wide-eyed heroine whose very existence is threatened by the legend of 'The Three Mothers'.

Up to now, the Anchor Bay R1 DVD has been the most faithful home viewing version of this classic film but does the release of a UK Blu-ray mean we can put the old Anchor Bay set into retirement? Actually... no!
While parts of the Nouveaux disc look simply wonderful (witness the opening minutes as Bannion exits the airport and takes a cab ride to the Akademie), there are numerous problems related to colour timing, contrast levels and footage that displays a huge drop in picture quality. Unfortunately, there are several scenes blighted by the aforementioned problems and it's hard to know where the blame lies. While its acknowledged that Nouveaux had no control over the master they were given, we were led to believe this would be a new HD transfer.
Happily, the sound has been restored to the former glory of the old Image Laserdisc (my copy went the way of ebay a few moons ago) and damn is it strong? While stories of the music being played on the set of this film are somewhat exaggerated, I've always adopted the mindset that Goblin's awesome soundtrack was not only designed to totally disorientate the viewer, but also the actors and prefer to imagine that thunderous score playing to thoroughly rattle Jessica Harper and co: an extra weapon in the armoury of Helena Markos.

Those of you who own THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE DVD will already have been privy to a superb commentary track from Alan Jones & Kim Newman. The good news is that the pair are back in harness to take the mic for another enjoyably informative talk. With nary a pause for breath, Jones and Newman give us the lowdown on this film, offering a proper historical perspective and great insight with regard to the reputation this film continues to enjoy. There's also a great documentary - "Fear At 400 Degrees" - which takes an academic look at SUSPIRIA, with Norman J Warren, Claudio Simonetti, Xavier Mendik, Patricia McCormack and Argento himself amongst participants, plus "Suspiria Perspectives" which consists of extensions of the same round of interviews as 'Fear'.

While there are undoubtedly major gripes over parts of this transfer (a bright pink Tanz Akademie?), I would urge Argento buffs to hand over their hard-earned for this release. There really is much to enthuse over, and I seriously doubt we'll see a truly definitive release anytime soon.

For those of you residing outside of Europe, you should be aware this release is region-locked.

ANTICHRIST BLU-RAY

For some, it may be decidedly uncomfortable to admit to being hugely impressed by this much-maligned film, given the widespread outrage directed at Lars Von Trier's latest work.
Unfortunately, several extremely stomach-churning scenes have prompted many critics to jump on the bandwagon, with walkouts at Cannes and calls for the film to be banned outright. No matter that this film contains two exceptional performances and deals with the grief experienced following what can only be described as every parents worst nightmare.

Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg - He and She in the credits - play a couple who retreat to a cabin in the woods, following the death of their only child.
While She attempts to find solace through sex, He decides exposure therapy may well be the answer; a method which comes crashing down following discovery of his wife's thesis paper, written during her last summer at the cabin. As the forces of nature gather - most memorably in the guise of 'The Three Beggars' - ANTICHRIST moves from grief, pain and despair to a truly gruelling sequence of events that will test even the most jaded viewer. These highly controversial scenes have been talked about enough elsewhere, which is a good enough reason for not focusing on them here, though I will say that, for me, the most harrowing scene occurs right at the beginning. The death of a child is just about the worst thing that can happen to a family, and the tragic death in ANTICHRIST - shot in monochrome while a beautiful score from Handel's Rinaldo accompanies the falling snow outside - will haunt you for weeks after.
It's inspired filmmaking, yet so damnably hard to watch, and the same can be said for Von Trier's direction of his two leads and their performances.
Although Gainsbourg's descent into violence becomes astonishingly brutal, it's entirely possible that her character will be viewed as more sympathetic than her husband who reacts to their son's death in an entirely different way, as is so often the case with the death of an infant. Here, Gainsbourg reaches incredible heights and Dafoe also excels with looks, gestures and actions that are so strong and yet ultimately helpless. Dafoe and Gainsbourg both carry the huge weight their director placed on their shoulders and deserve way more credit than they've been given.

The UK Blu-ray transfer of this film is a thing of savage beauty, and it's hard to find any area that falls short. Colours are bright and bold, with bags of detail and this disc stands as the perfect home viewing vehicle for Anthony Dod Mantle's stunning cinematography.
Those interested in knowing more about the making of this film will find a more than worthwhile bounty of extras, with valuable input from cast and crew: do look out for the Cannes footage, which includes a laughable self-styled 'friend of the stars' journo who makes a complete prat of himself.

ANTICHRIST offers cinema of the most challenging kind. Look deep inside, and it will stay with you for the right reasons.

KREATIVE BLOGGER

Many thanks to Kimberly over at the wonderful Cinebeats for awarding me a Kreative Blogger award. In order to follow the rules, I need to:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated

So, here are 7 things about me that you probably won't find interesting, but here goes.

1/ I married my American wife just 3 days after we'd met for the first time.

2/ It's approximately 5 years since I last had a beer. An ongoing battle with Meiniere's Disease means medication and hooch just don't get on.

3/ I once had a ticket to see a Sex Pistols gig, only for the local council to play a large part in the gig being cancelled. After that, nearest I got was a Public Image gig where John and the boys did 'Anarchy' as a encore.

4/ I was present at the penultimate Joy Division gig at Derby's Ajanta. All too soon, poor Ian was gone.

5/ I don't drive. Never have, never will.

6/ My ideal place to live would be London. Spent a ton of time there, and love the place. Have a feeling my wife and I will probably end up in America at some stage, which is fine by me.

7/ My nickname as a young lad was 'Spike'. Nowadays, I'm known as 'The Butcher' at work. An English version of Malcolm Tucker? Nah, not me.

Now, this is the one where I nominate.

Lazy Thoughts From A Boomer
Beautifully varied blog, and one to visit daily.

Radiator Heaven
This time, JD casts his eye on Criterion's CHE 3 discer. An essential stopby, always.

Moon In The Gutter
Now, this one is responsible for launching many of us into blogdom and remains an imformative and friendly blog with a wonderfully electic mix of reviews and so much else.

Italian Film Review
For films Italiana, this really is a must-visit.

Fascination: The Jean Rollin Experience
Essential for fans of the French auteur. Another one from the man who brings you Moon In The Gutter.

Only The Cinema
Great writing, great screenshots. THE COMFORMIST is amongst this weeks treats.

Out1
Another proflific blog, laced with quality writing. Check them all out, if you don't already.