Victor Hugo’s massive 5-volume epic tale of life in France between 1815-1832 was originally published in 1862, and has spawned a blockbuster musical, many film adaptations and several TV productions, but this 6-part, 2018 BBC mini-series…
Reviews of two zingers from Woody Allen: the not-really-comedic Stardust Memories (1980) and the brilliant mockumentary Zelig (1983), both on Blu from Twilight Time.
When Kim Philby died in Soviet Russia, the last member of the notorious British Communist spies was given a hero’s funeral procession, sealing one of England’s most incredible spying sagas. Branded The Cambridge Spies, the group of five, reduced to a key four, were ultimately responsible for giving away major secrets during their tenure in high-profile positions…
In the evening of December of 2012, 23 year-old New Delhi medical student Jyoti Singh Pandey went out with a friend to see a movie, but rather than settle for an action flick, she chose Life of Pi (2012), a life-affirming tale about trust, respect, and a healthy fear of that prevents a tiger from devouring a boy in a boat after a ship’s sinking. Within the next roughly 48 hours after boarding a bus to take her and her male friend home, Jyoti would die of injuries from a monstrously sadistic gang rape…
Produced when Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was still in power, this BBC Persian Television documentary by Maziar Bahari reveals an unlikely relationship between Iran and Israel, which one historian describes as ‘love without marriage’ when 30 years earlier the two countries shared more than diplomatic relations…
Now Where Were We? Right. Let’s go back to LAST NIGHT (1998)
Don McKellar’s LAST NIGHT (1998) is the first review after a long pause in activities at KQEK.com
Gothic Steele: An Angel for Satan (1966)
Review of AN ANGEL FOR SATAN / UN ANGELO PER SATANA (1966), Barbara Steele’s last Italian Gothic, on Blu-ray from Severin Films
Spanish Giallo I: When a Cannibal is not a Cannibal, but When a Scream is Indeed a Scream
Severin Films showcases the work of Eloy de la Iglesia via two fine Spanish gialli entries: NO ONE HEARD THE SCREAM (1973) + CANNIBAL MAN (1972)
ArtScopeTO 10: Interview with Abstract Painter Donna Wise
For my occasional podcast series ArtScope TO, Abstract Painter Donna Wise discusses her unique techniques, and working during the 2020-2021 pandemic.
Podcast: Jason Pichonsky on Restoring Julian Roffman’s THE BLOODY BROOD (1959) + PHOBIA (1980)
Alongside a podcast with CanCon film historian Jason Pichonsky are revised reviews of Julian Roffman’s THE BLOODY BROOD (1959) + John Huston’s PHOBIA (1980), both from KINO Lorber / Unobstructed View.
Podcast: ANNE WITH AN E composers Amin Bhatia & Ari Posner
Podcast interview with ANNE WITH AN E’s composing team Amin Bhatia and Ari Posner.
Assorted characters collide and interact in the lead-up to Earth’s demise at precisely midnight.
BR: Angel for Satan, An / Un angelo per Satana (1966)
Had Barbara Steele remained in Europe – especially Italy – during the early 1970s, she may well have appeared in giallo thrillers…
BR: Cannibal Man / La semana del asesino / Apartment on the 13th Floor, The (1972)
Cannibal Man has a palpable crime-drama feel – the events unfold after daily title cards – and one can sense Hitchcockian sensibilities…
BR: No One Heard the Scream / Nadie oyó gritar (1973)
After the grisly thriller Cannibal Man (1972), Spanish auteur Eloy de la Iglesia opted for a far less graphic thriller which is part giallo…
DVD: Go-Go Boys: The Inside Story of Cannon Films, The (2014)
Produced and released around the same time as Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films (2014), the approach by director Hilla Medalia is a more authorized chronicle…
Connect