Red Desert: Criterion Collection

The term auteur was invented to describe a filmmaker like Michelangelo Antonioni who pretty much defined existential angst with the films he made in the 1960s, most notably the ones starring his then cinematic muse, Monica Vitti. With Red Desert (1964),... 

This Sporting Life: Criterion Collection

Based on the novel by David Storey (who wrote the screenplay himself), This Sporting Life (1963) marked the feature film debut of Lindsay Anderson and features a ferocious performance by Richard Harris as Frank Machin, a professional rugby player. We... 

Gladiator: Extended Edition

We all know the story. In 1999, Ridley Scott hadn’t made anything decent since Thelma and Louise eight years previously, Russell Crowe was just starting to get noticed after The Insider and as for Joaquin Phoenix, who the hell is he? Cut to 2005... 

Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets

The best sequels have a way of improving on the original, and Chamber of Secrets succeeds in nearly every respect. It’s darker, funnier, more action-packed and the three leads are actually starting to act (witness Harry’s face/off at the end).... 

Gladiator

With every successful film comes a torrent of derision from the press, Gladiator was no exception. Mauled for its plodding script, wafer thin plot and poor acting. But was any of this warranted? Well yes actually, but only the part about the script. The... 

The Wild Geese

The unmistakable voice of Joan Armatrading is heard over Maurice Binder’s opening credits as classic British movie The Wild Geese begins. Based on the book by Daniel Carney it concerns a bunch of middle-aged mercenaries hired by a suspicious businessman...