Anyhow, Daniel and Miyagi are on their way when the owner and trainer of the Cobra Kai, John Kreese (Martin Kove) is beating up on his losing student. This prompts Miyagi to intervene and ‘make his knuckles bleed’ without even touching him. You need to remember this for Karate Kid part III (actually you don’t, you’ll be reminded with flashbacks again).

Once the initial euphoria of Daniel’s victory has settled down we can get on with the storyline. Miyagi must return to Okinawa because his father is dying, but in doing so he will have to fight his old friend Sato (Danny Kamekona) to the death for stealing his betrothed some 40 years earlier, before escaping to America.

There, that’s the storyline.

As with the first Karate Kid, you can pretty much guess the rest. Daniel will fall for some pretty young Okinawa beauty, some local hoodlums with trash some plants attempting to act tough, Miyagi and Sato will eventually put things behind them and Daniel will have a one-on-one fight in the end, which he no doubt wins with the use of some new move that he learns throughout the course of the film.

All goes without saying.

In truth, and not a lot of people would say this, Karate Kid part II is actually a better film than the original, if perhaps not quite as enjoyable. Daniel’s character is far more likeable and with much of the drama centring on Miyagi (who is a far better actor than many give him credit for) the film stands up much better than the first.

However, nothing can quite top the impact and sheer enjoyment of the first film, with that memorable scene where Daniel realises that he has been learning karate for three whole days without even knowing it.

Just like the first film however, this Blu-Ray release is completely devoid of special features (save for the original featurette), and doesn’t even contain the original trailer.

Also – the original Karate Kid films are a trilogy, so where’s the third film on Blu-Ray?

All of that side, The Karate Kid part II is another classic of 80s cinema and a worthy follow up to the original. It’s a shame more effort hasn’t been put into the Blu-Ray release, as the original trilogy DVD was crafted with real love and attention. Owners of the DVD trilogy need not bother with this, but if for some strange reason The Karate Kid Trilogy isn’t in your collection, you could do a lot worse than these very affordable Blu-Rays.

Sister Clodagh (Kerr) has been put in charge of the newly christened St. Faith, formerly the Palace of Mopu, in a mountainous region of India that is 8,000 feet up with nearby peaks almost as high as Mount Everest. The palace has been abandoned for some time and is surrounded by rather harsh weather. As a result of this appointment, Clodagh has become the youngest Sister Superior in her order. She has been entrusted to set up a school and a hospital for the locals. Accompanying her is Sister Philippa (Robson) to help with the gardening, Sister Honey (Laird) who is quite popular, and Sister Ruth (Byron) who is of poor health. Clodagh is instructed to work her nuns hard as dictated by their order.

Once she arrives at St. Faith, Clodagh meets Mr. Dean (Farrar), the liaison between nuns and the locals. Her all-business behaviour clashes with his snarky attitude. Things get off to a rocky start as the nuns are inundated with locals – children for the school and patients for the hospital. The odds are certainly against Clodagh and her nuns but they press on regardless. At one point, they take in Kanchi (Simmons), a beautiful local girl and a troublemaker in her own right. Her own village doesn’t even want her and Dean dryly observes that it’s the nuns’ job to save souls.

The cast do an excellent job of bringing these colourful characters to life. There’s the determined nature of Sister Clodagh, the rugged self-confidence of Dean and the exotic sexiness of Kanchi. Most interesting to watch is how the relationship between Clodagh and Dean develops, starting off as antagonistic in nature but eventually they come to respect one another.

Black Narcissus features some impressive camerawork by Powell and Pressburger regular Jack Cardiff, like the overhead shot of one of the nuns ringing the temple bell that shows just how high up they are. The palace is built into the side of the mountain. Cardiff does a fantastic job of showing off the intimidating yet majestic-looking environment that surrounds St. Faith. For the look of the film, he was inspired by painters Vermeer and Caravaggio. Cardiff ended up winning the Academy Award for cinematography. The power of cinema is the ability to transport us to exotic places we’ve never been to and Powell and Pressburger do this with Black Narcissus.

Special Features:

There is an introduction by French filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier, a long-time fan of Powell and Pressburger’s films. He talks about the source material, Cardiff’s cinematography and the erotic nature of Black Narcissus. Tavernier also talks about key cast members.

Also included is an audio commentary by director Michael Powell and friend and fellow filmmaker Martin Scorsese. He points out that the entire film was shot on a studio soundstage. He also talks about his first reaction to seeing it in colour and how the overt sexuality affected him. Scorsese touches upon the use of colour, describing the dense, lush images. Powell gives his initial impressions of the film. He points out what were models and what were matte paintings. Powell recounts personal anecdotes while Scorsese provides insightful analysis.

“The Audacious Adventurer” is a 2005 interview with Tavernier who talks about Powell and recounts some of his stories making Black Narcissus. This film was the first time Powell and Pressburger adapted a book into a film. He talks about the genesis of the project and covers the casting process, in particular Kerr, Byron and Simmons.

“Profile of Black Narcissus” is a 25-minute making of documentary that was produced 2000. It establishes Powell and Pressburger’s place in cinema when they made the film which was at the height of their popularity. The documentary goes through various aspects of the production with interviews with film historians and surviving cast and crew members.

“Painting with Light” is a 30-minute documentary on Jack Cardiff’s work on Black Narcissus. He initially thought they were going to shoot on location in India and was surprised when told they were going to shoot in England. Fellow filmmakers like Scorsese and film scholars sing his praises. Cardiff shows how a camera works and talks about the look of the film.

Finally, there is a theatrical trailer.

The Karate Kid was originally released in a digital format back in 2003, on a Trilogy DVD set crammed with special features, but sadly this Blu-Ray, by comparison, is rather sparse. For example, the great ‘catch the fly with the chopsticks’ DVD game that provided literally minutes worth of entertainment for me all those years ago is now absent. However, with the Karate Kid it’s not about special features, nor is it about quality Blu-Ray high definition (which is lucky, because the picture on this Blu-Ray looks no better than the DVD) – no, Karate Kid is about reliving your childhood, learning karate, performing general maintenance on an old man’s house and listening to truly awful 80s music.

The first thing that struck me about the Karate Kid, after all these years, is what a truly whining character Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) really is. He’s moody, immature, mistrusting and not particularly eloquent when he speaks to Ali with an ‘I’ (Elisabeth Shue). So much so that you can’t quite fathom what her character is supposed to see in him at all.

His temper is such that he even shouts at Mr Miyagi on several occasions, making you again wonder why the elderly karate expert would have anything to do with this precocious Italian American from New Jersey.

All of that aside (and it is difficult) the film sure is entertaining. LaRusso moves with his mother from New Jersey to the West Coast of America, where he instantly makes friends and spies a potential new girlfriend who, for some inexplicable reason, seems attracted to him. All would be great if it weren’t for ‘Johnny’ (William Zabka), Ali’s ex boyfriend and resident karate champion, who is intent on persecuting Daniel for daring to make eyes at his ex-girlfriend.

Johnny and his gang of karate experts pick on Daniel at every opportunity (and let’s be honest, most of time it was justified) until Mr Miyagi promises to teach him the ways of karate so that he can face Johnny in a tournament.

All very simple so far, and that’s about it. You know how it’s going to end simply by looking at the poster, but the manner in which Karate Kid plays out makes you love the film more and more with every viewing. Maybe it’s the music, which is more unashamedly 80s than the music for Rocky IV, maybe it’s the fact that when they play football (soccer to our American readers) they chase the ball around in groups in a manner that even five-year-olds in the UK know not to do, or maybe it’s just the way that Daniel learns karate by performing menial household chores, such as painting fences and sanding floors.

There’s something about Karate Kid that you just can’t quantify, and that’s what makes it a cinematic classic, and a film that guarantees that children of all ages, and adults who remember it first time round, will love it still.

The Red Shoes takes us backstage for a behind-the-scenes look at a ballet company. At a dinner party after a performance, Lady Neston approaches Boris Lermontov (Walbrook), the imperious owner of the ballet company, and asks him to see her niece, a young dancer named Victoria Page (Shearer). He’s also approached by Julian Craster (Goring), an aspiring composer. He plays him part of an opera he’s been working on and Lermontov hires him to coach the orchestra.

Powell and Pressburger do a masterful job of showing the hustle and bustle of a large ballet company getting ready for a performance on a daily basis. We see stagehands assembling sets, performers rehearsing and musicians practicing. We also see the clashing of personalities between egotistical dancers. Victoria and Julian are thrown into the mix as they try to impress the powers that be in the hopes of getting a shot at the big time. At first, no one gives them the time of day. Fortunately, they both make the cut and travel with the company to Paris. Lermontov decides to mount a production of The Red Shoes and enlists Julian to write the adaptation and Victoria as the principal dancer.

The dance sequences are masterfully staged as Powell and Pressburger utilize the vibrant Technicolor look to make the images leap off the screen thanks to Jack Cardiff’s stunning cinematography. Amidst all of the backstage drama, a love triangle develops and Powell and Pressburger do an excellent job weaving all of these storylines together seamlessly. The entire cast performs admirably with Moira Shearer as a particular stand-out playing a young, up-and-coming ballerina. The Red Shoes has been painstakingly restored over the course of two-and-a-half years where it was finally unveiled at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. It’s safe to say the film has never looked or sounded better. One of the true classics of cinema has been preserved for future generations to study and enjoy.

Special Features:

For a landmark film such as The Red Shoes, the Criterion Collection has gone that extra mile in the extras department.

The first disc features a “Restoration Demonstration” as Martin Scorsese takes us briefly through the process of restoring The Red Shoes and just how challenging it was to do. He shows a clip from the damaged original and how it was restored digitally. The restorers did an amazing job on this film and the proof is in the final results.

There is an audio commentary by film historian Ian Christie and interviews with stars Marius Goring and Moira Shearer, cinematographer Jack Cardiff, composer Brian Easdale, and Scorsese. The veteran director talks about the use of colour and how it drew him to the film. Cardiff talks about how he got involved. Initially, he hated the ballet but soon grew to love it. Goring talks about the blend of fairy tale and reality in the film. Unlike Cardiff, Easdale was a long-time fan of the ballet and speaks of the origins of the music. Shearer says that she took some convincing because she was enjoying a successful run as a dancer and found the film’s script dreadful. This is an excellent track that covers all aspects of The Red Shoes.

“The Red Shoes Novel” features actor Jeremy Irons reading excerpts from the 1978 novelization of the film as you’re watching it. He has a great voice which really enhances the prose.

Also included is a theatrical trailer.

The second disc starts off with “Profile of The Red Shoes,” a 25-minute retrospective documentary. It starts off giving some background to the genesis of the film and takes us through its production with surviving crew members sharing their memories and relatives of those who died recounting stories as well. This is an excellent look at how The Red Shoes was made.

Legendary film editor Thelma Schoonmaker is interviewed at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. She had been married to Michael Powell from 1984 until his death in 1990. She talks about the film’s restoration and also comments on what the film means to her. She speaks quite eloquently and very knowledgeably.

Also included are six stills galleries covering the cast and crew, behind-the-scenes in London, Paris and Monte Carlo, deleted scenes, and production and costume designs.

“Scorsese’s Memorabilia” is a gallery of items from the filmmaker’s personal collection. It’s quite impressive with things like the red ballet shoes worn by Shearer in the film, and posters and lobby cards from various countries.

Finally, there is “The Red Shoes Sketches,” a collection of production designer Hein Heckroth’s original colour storyboards animated and set to Brian Easdale’s score. You can view them on their own or as a side-by-side comparison to The Red Shoes ballet as seen in the film with an optional audio track of Jeremy Irons reading excerpts of the original Hans Christian Andersen story.

Set in Central Japan circa 1923, widowed Otsune (Iida) works hard in a silk mill. She tells her son Ryosuke (Hayama) that he cannot go to an expensive school. However, his teacher, Okubo, stops by to congratulate Otsune on agreeing to pay Ryosuke’s way through high school and college, much to her chagrin. At one point, she tells her child to “study hard and become a great man” and make his late father happy.

Otsune is willing to work her fingers to the bone in order to pay for Ryosuke’s education so that he can make something of himself. The film jumps to 1936 and examines the mother-son relationship between these two people. Ryosuke has grown up and found a job in Tokyo. She goes to visit him and finds out, much to her surprise, that he’s married and has a son. The rest of the film plays out her disillusionment with how her son has turned out.

Ozu’s humanistic streak is apparent in the scenes between mother and son. There is a strong bond between them even though they don’t always communicate. The Only Son is a fascinating look at Japanese culture in the 1930s.

Made between his two stints in the Japanese army, There Was a Father (1942) explores the bond between a father and his son, reflecting Ozu’s feelings on national unity at the time. In this film, the nation’s interests always come before oneself. The film was written soon after The Only Son was released and could have been Ozu’s next film had he not been drafted. The version of There Was a Father that was eventually made came from a heavily revised script.

Shuhei Horikawa (Ryu) is a mathematics teacher that takes his students on a class trip. However, one of his students dies in a boating accident. Understandably upset, Horikawa blames himself and resigns. He decides to spend more time with his son Ryohei (Tsugawa). They move to the country and the father finds work at a temple in a small village. He and his son bond over chores and fishing trips.

There’s a warmth between father and son and we see how much Horikawa cares for his child. He is willing to work hard enough to support Ryohei through school provided the boy studies hard. There Was a Father is the flipside to The Only Son in that there is a dutiful son in the former while the latter features an estranged child. Both films also examine the differences between rural life and urban living.

Special Features:

The Only Son features an interview with film scholars David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson. He says that Ozu is the greatest filmmaker of all time and sings his praises. He sees The Only Son as a somber film with the humour being marginalized. He and Thompson talk about how the film comments on Japanese society.

Japanese film critic and scholar Tadao Sato is interviewed. He talks about how the film’s story was a very common one in Japan at the time. He provides historical background to the film and what the culture was like.

There Was a Father features an interview with Bordwell and Thompson. He says that the film balances cinematic values with a political message. He and Thompson put the film into a historical context. She mentions that even though the film was liked by the Japanese government and viewed as propaganda for World War II, Ozu played down the militaristic aspects.

With The Squid and the Whale (2005), writer/director Noah Baumbach not only reinvented himself (he had previously made quirky romantic comedies) but also gave movie stars like Laura Linney and, with Margot at the Wedding (2007), Nicole Kidman, grittier, more realistic roles for them to sink their teeth into. These two films have a loose, almost improvisational feel to them and feature characters expressing raw emotions in an almost uncomfortable way at times. Baumbach mixes comedy and drama in a way that feels natural and authentic – something that is missing from standard Hollywood fare too preoccupied with either broad comedy or heightened melodrama.

Just released from a mental hospital in New York after having a nervous breakdown, Roger Greenberg (Stiller) is invited to stay at his brother’s house in Los Angeles and do some carpentry work while he recovers. His brother (Messina) and family are on vacation but his personal assistant Florence (Gerwig) is staying on to take care of the house and run errands for Roger. He ends up reconnecting with a former bandmate (Ifans) who takes him to a party where he meets his ex-girlfriend (Leigh). However, Roger finds himself increasing drawn to Florence and a relationship gradually begins to develop between them.

Ben Stiller dials it way back with this film as he completely abandons his physical shtick for a dry, more subtle verbal style of humour, like the letters he writes to corporations complaining about trivial things like the failure of the button to recline his chair on an airplane, or one directed at Mayor Bloomberg to deploy a police officer on every street corner in New York City to reduce street noise pollution. Stiller has really grown into his looks which suits the character of Roger, someone who’s made a mess of his life by not making some very good choices. The actor does a good job of playing an obviously damaged person trying to get by on a daily basis.

Greta Gerwig is quite good as Florence, a damaged person in her own way but she has a down-to-earth quality that Roger is drawn to and brings him out of his misanthropic shell. Gerwig brings a refreshing authenticity to the role and has a quirky charm that is disarming. She has good chemistry with Stiller and we are quickly hooked, curious as to where their relationship is going.

Greenberg is about two socially awkward people trying to connect but have personal issues that make it difficult. Roger, in particular, is a real piece of work and often says cruel things to Florence and others near him. Thankfully, Baumbach nor Stiller refuse to water this character down but instead present him warts and all. In some respects, this is the kind of unconventional character-driven drama that could have easily come out of the 1970s. Hopefully, Stiller will do more of these kinds of films and cut back on crap like Little Fokkers (2010).

Special Features:

“A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Greenberg” is basically an extended trailer with soundbite interviews with the cast.

“Greenberg Loves Los Angeles” takes a brief look at setting the film in the city. Crew members talk about how they decided to portray L.A. in the film.

Finally, there is “Noah Baumbach Takes a Novel Approach” which examines how Baumbach wanted to take a novelistic approach to the film reminiscent of the films of Hal Ashby or Robert Altman in the 1970s.

The film’s story follows three very different cops who work in and around the notorious BK house projects – 18 buildings with 50,000 residents. It is a drug-ridden hotbed for crime, not to mention the highest crime area in the city. Eddie (Gere) is a veteran cop only seven days from retirement. His superior assigns him a rookie that he is supposed to show around BK. Eddie is an alcoholic at the end of his rope and just wants to get out after 22 years of service. Sal (Hawke) is a desperate cop that takes money from drug busts in order to help pay for a house for his family – a pregnant wife and several kids. Tango (Cheadle) is working undercover and trying to set up a major drug bust. He’s in real danger of losing himself in his cover story and wants his superior (Patton) to get him out. Casanova Phillips (Snipes) has just gotten out of prison after an eight year stint and hooks up with Tango, his loyal buddy from way back, and who, incidentally, has been ordered to bring his friend down. All three men are walking a fine line in a very dangerous environment.

All three cops share a very jaded worldview but this is hardly surprising considering that they see humanity at its worst on a daily basis. Brooklyn’s Finest raises some legitimate concerns that cops have about the job. They are paid lousy wages to risk life and limb. Is it any wonder that some of them are on the take? Some cops have been on the job too long and have seen too much and this results in a cynical view on life.

As a result, Brooklyn’s Finest doesn’t exactly paint the prettiest picture of the problems that plague New York City. In fact, it looks pretty hopeless. The cops do everything they can but it seems like a futile battle. While the film’s story is nothing that we haven’t seen before, it is anchored by very strong performances by Cheadle, Gere, Hawke, and Snipes. Gere and Hawke are especially strong as they essentially play the polar opposite of the cop characters they portrayed in Internal Affairs (1990) and Training Day, respectively. For Snipes, it is a return to form and proof that he is still an excellent actor hungry for good material. Let’s hope that this film leads to more substantial roles in high profile projects like this one for the actor.

Special Features:

“Chaos and Conflict: The Life of a New York Cop” takes a look at the genesis of the film. Ethan Hawke rode around with actual cops while researching for his role. Richard Gere looked at the film as a Shakespearean drama. Director Antoine Fuqua was thrilled to have Wesley Snipes in the film and to have him in scenes together with Don Cheadle. Fuqua says that the film is about the pressures cops are under every day.

“Boyz N the Real Hood” examines shooting the film on location in Brooklyn. Fuqua says that the studio originally wanted him to shoot it in Detroit but he insisted it on shooting in New York City and in the actual projects where it is set. The production used a lot of locals as extras.

“An Eye for Detail: Director Featurette” features the cast and crew praising Fuqua’s ability, his passion and being someone who knows what he wants. The actors also appreciated his willingness to let them improvise and collaborate with him.

“From the MTA to the WGA: Writer Featurette” takes a look at the film’s screenwriter Michael Martin. Before this film, he worked for the transit authority on the subway. Originally, Fuqua did not want to do another cop film after Training Day, but loved Martin’s script. The writer is understandably pretty happy how things turned out as he got to see his script brought to life by all these well-known actors.

Also included are 31 minutes of deleted scenes. We see the full scene of what was only shown partially in the film in a flashback. There is more footage of Tango and Casanova planning for the future. We also see more of Sal’s family life. There is a slightly longer version of the ending where we the after effects of the climactic showdown between the three main characters.

There is a theatrical trailer.

Finally, there is an audio commentary by director Antoine Fuqua. He starts talking about how the Book of Job from the Bible influenced the staging and look of the opening scene with Sal. He describes Eddie as a ghost that “floats through life.” Fuqua does a fine job analyzing his film and explains how his style – camerawork, framing, etc. – informed the themes and provided insight into the characters.

Maria (Heiskanen) and Sigfrid Larsson (Persbrandt) have a tumultuous marriage. He’s a hard-drinking dock worker while she raises their four children. The film is narrated by one of her daughters. At times, Maria and Sigfrid’s relationship is a loving one but he has a wicked temper that is only worsened by alcohol. He becomes a violent drunk that abuses his wife. One day, she takes in an old camera that was won in a lottery to get fixed and this routine chore changes her life.

Pedersen (Christensen), the shopkeeper, shows her how to use it and how to develop her own photographs. Meanwhile, Sigfrid discovers socialism and becomes part of a strike staged by his fellow workers. Maria starts off doing simple portraits of her children and the family cat. She shows a real eye for detail and use of light. Soon, a neighbour asks her to photograph her recently deceased child as a kind of keepsake.

Everlasting Moments is a beautifully shot film with some stunning images, like that of a streetcar traveling through the snow at night with Maria and her children in silhouette as they watch it go by. The film examines how Maria’s love of photography improves her lot in life. Everlasting Moments is a touching, sometimes moving story about a woman and her passion for photography, anchored by a strong, authentic performance by Maria Heiskanen. Troell opts for subtlety and nuance in every scene which is refreshing compared to blatantly emotionally manipulative Hollywood fare.

Special Features:

The first disc includes the theatrical trailer.

The second disc started off with “Troell Behind the Camera,” a 2007 making of documentary done during the production of the film. He muses about how digital photography takes some of the magic and skill out of it. He was drawn to and identified with what photography meant to Maria. The surviving children are interviewed and talk about their father’s violent temper. We see script meetings, rehearsals and footage of the cast and crew filming on location. Troell comes across as a very thoughtful and intelligent artist.

“The True Story of Maria Larsson” is a documentary that takes a look at her photos while also examining her life. In 1900, she won a camera in a lottery. Her story is told through her photos. She was a poor, working-class woman. She scrubbed and sewed for a living. Photography was her escape from this drudgery. There are lots of insights into this woman’s fascinating life.

Finally, there is “Troell’s Magic Mirror,” an hour-long documentary that examines his career, spanning his breakthrough films to his brief stint in Hollywood and up to his latest film. He talks about his philosophy of filmmaking. This is an excellent primer for those unfamiliar with his work.

Red Desert defies any easy kind of synopsis and one really has to let the film wash over them. The first shots in the film are of factories just out of focus and accompanied by a dissonant soundtrack mixed with industrial noises that immediately establish an alienated atmosphere. This is followed by the high pitched sounds of a woman singing. After the opening credits, there is an incredible establishing shot of two massive smoke stacks. Giuliana (Vitti) and her young son arrive at her husband’s factory and encounter some of its workers on strike. The factory grounds are grey and colourless dirt mixed with rubble. Her green coat stands out when contrasted with these drab surroundings.

Early on, industrial imagery is everywhere: in the background of a man in an office talking on the phone, and on the factory floor dwarfing a worker also talking on the phone. The noises of various machines are deafening and omnipresent. Giuliana’s husband Ugo (Chionetti) introduces her to a friend of his, Corrado Zeller (Harris). Huge plumes of smoke billow out of the factory as Ugo and Zeller look on and industrial sounds drown out their conversation. Giuliana and Ugo live in a Spartan-like house with modern-type furniture that anticipates a similar house and decor in David Lynch’s Lost Highway (1997). In fact, all of the industrial imagery and droning avant garde soundtrack would make Lynch green with envy as he would go on to employ it most famously in Eraserhead (1977).

If Red Desert is difficult to follow, Monica Vitti keeps us grounded with her empathy and charisma. Giuliana provides a glimmer of humanity in this hellish, industrialized landscape. Without her presence, the film would be relentlessly bleak. Red Desert is not an easy film to watch and understand if you’re used to conventional narrative cinema but one can sense that Antonioni is trying to say something – that this experimental approach has a purpose but he leaves it up to the audience to figure it out.

Special Features:

There is an audio commentary by Italian film scholar David Forgacs. He points out that the film’s original working title was Light Blue and Green but Antonioni went with his intuition and changed it because it needed to be felt rather than understood. Forgacs says that Monica Vitti claims that the genesis for Red Desert came from a crisis she’d been through in her life. He does a good job analyzing the film and making sense of it all. Forgacs also talks about how Italy’s socio-economical state influenced the film. He delivers a very informative track.

There is a 12-minute interview with Michelangelo Antonioni done for French television in 1964. He talks about how an industrial region near where he grew up inspired the film. He became fascinated with how it symbolized progress and even interviewed some of its workers. Antonioni also talks about using colour for the first time.

Also included is a 9-minute interview with Monica Vitti for French T.V. in 1990. She talks about meeting Antonioni for the first time and what it was like to be in his films while also being romantically linked in their personal lives. She tells some stories about a few of the films they made together.

“Dailies” is a collection of uncut and unfinished footage, some of it in black and white and some in colour, without any audio running 28 minutes in length.

Also included are two short documentaries that Antonioni made early on in his career. “Gente del Po” is an 11-minute film that saw him already exploring an individual’s relationship to their environment – a theme he would continue to explore in later films. “N.U.” is about the lives of street cleaners in Rome.

Finally, there is rather long trailer for the film.

However, as events of I Know You Know demonstrate, Kerrigan had a few personal problems in his life following the completion of Human Traffic, namely the death of his father a year later – and this film is a tribute to his dad and the relationship that the pair had together.

Having seen all of Kerigan’s university films, such as Pubroom Paranoia and Party Politics, the style of Human Traffic came as no surprise – but I Know You Know is a departure from Kerrigan’s usual style, being shot linear and telling an almost straightforward story, with none of the cutaways or juxtaposition that his pervious works all featured. In fact, fans of Human Traffic probably won’t recognise anything in I Know You Know to suggest it was from the same writer/director.

This is very much a personal film for Kerrigan, showing the relationship of Jamie (Fuller) with his father, Charlie (Carlyle) in the mid 1980s. The pair have returned from Europe where Charlie wants to get back into business with some new jobs. It seems clear from the outset that Charlie is some sort of government spy, or possibly an assassin, and Jamie is unaware of his father’s dangerous line of work. However, Jamie becomes suspicious of his father and begins spying on him, eavesdropping and trying to figure out just what it is that his father is doing.

While attempting to do this, Jamie also has some issues at his new school – as most new kids would have when they travel around in such a manner. It’s these scenes where we get a real insight into what Kerrigan went through in his past, and where young Arron Fuller performs best.

All is not what it seems however, and Charlie’s plan to make one last big score doesn’t pan out, but not for the reasons Jamie suspects.

Without giving away the ending (because this film really is built on one major twist) it’s the relationship between Jamie and Charlie that holds the film together, and how Jamie deals with Charlie’s erratic character that offers the real sadness of the story.

On the plus side, you can see how much this meant to Kerrigan and it’s a far departure from his earlier works, showing that he can do other stuff. Arron Fuller is impressive in his debut role, and there’s a really cool Ford Capri that features in many scenes. On the negative side, Robert Carlyle’s Welsh accent sounds as though it was based in Glasgow and the film moves along at an extremely slow pace, with very little happening whilst still managing to be very confusing.

The confusing aspect is explained though, and it is intentional.

I Know You Know is no Human Traffic, but it’s nice to see that Kerrigan is working again and hopefully he’ll soon make another film that better shows off his commercial ability.