Warner Home Video

I loved this film, which surprised me! I'm not Guy Richie's biggest fan -actually hated Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels - so was extremely sceptical when I heard that he was directing the new Sherlock Holmes film - but it just goes to show what happens when the story's right and the actors are spot on.

And weren't they just!! Robert Downey Jr was superb! Perfectly cast as Holmes and it was refreshing to see Watson played as more of a clued in & active participant -rather than a fumbling oaf as in previous regenerations - which was down to Jude Law.

In some ways, they've reduced Holmes down to a Victorian version of James Bond - and I should be really incensed at that. But the trouble is they've done such a damn fine job!!! Holmes is ever the enigma -here we see a man who can not function without Watson, and the relationship between the two is so hazy and although it's never stressed or hinted, there's a frisson between the two that is unmistakable (the phrase, like an old married couple, springs to mind.)

The action and fight scenes are well staged and nicely break up the film without being too distracting or erroneous. There are also lots of in-jokes for those people that have actually read some of the books, without being at the expense of those who haven't.

In short, I couldn't find anything about this film that I didn't like. There will be a sequel - one that the arch-fiend Moriatey will no doubt appear in. And I must admit... I can't wait!!

There is something about this film that, for me, defies explanation. The plot is epic and labyrinthine as it follows Mick Travis - yes, that Mick Travis... - in various stages of his life, his various ups and downs to his final enlightenment through a form of shakubuku.
The characters and situations are quite complex with many of the actors play multiple roles. Throughout the film I got the feeling that there was more to the film than what I thought, that there was a layer of meaning that I hadn't quite penetrated. The first time I saw this film I understood the zen-like ending and it had quite an impact on me, and each time I see it I still feel the same way, but not how it linked into the rest of the story.

Now, I think it has more to do with the path to enlightenment that we all must take -from innocence to ruin, to finding ourselves once again...!

Malcolm McDowell is superb as Mick Travis, a multi-layered, multi-faceted character - this is, for me, his best role.

The music plays an important part for me. The soundtrack is by Alan Price, and all the songs are uniformly charming and wonderful -especially the title track.

It's a shame this film isn't more widely recognised - it's a classic for so many reasons, and needs to be seen by more people!!

A masterful film - cinematic sleight of hand. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale star as rival magicians, with a supporting cast including a barely recognisable David Bowie.

Of all the scenes in this film, two images stand out: a snowy hillside covered in top hats and an abandoned warehouse filled with glass cabinets that hide an awful secret which illustrate the lengths that the characters are willing to go to in order to perfect their "illusions".

I was haunted by this film for ages and couldn't put my finger on why it had such an impact on me. I still can't, if I'm honest. It defies my attempts to catagorise it - it's not a thriller, or a drama.. not really. It has aspects of each, but, at a push, I'd say its about the human condition - the darker side of obsession. There is no magic here - the enchantment has been stripped of it's gloss and glamour (there's another scene where Christian Bale manages to make a dove disappear in a cage by squashing both it and the cage!) leaving a murky world where there is no black and white, just a murky grey.

Both Bale and Jackman are superb, and make the film more believable - because if you don't believe in the characters then how can you care for the film, or the story?

This is a film for anyone who likes who-dunnits (because, at heart, that's what this is... in a way) and will reward those people brave enough to dare the Prestige!

A poignant look at the heartbreak following the loss of a child; The haunted streets of Venice provide the perfect backdrop for this moving and unforgettable film.
Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie give beautiful and moving performances as the parents of little Christine, who drowns at the start of the film in a red mac. They move to Venice to escape the pain -the film is filled with tragic ironies like this, and is one of the reasons why I love it so much; it works on so many different levels!- but tragedy seems to follow them as John Baxter (Donald Sutherland) is constantly haunted by images of a small girl running round in a red mac. He's told that all the time he is in Venice he is in danger, but he ignores the warnings until it becomes too late.
This film is an exercise in mood and is so subtle that most of what is happening is just below the surface, barely tangible. The opening scenes of the film are just an example of this - never have I seen such deliberate editing that encapsulates the entire film -and that mirrors so perfectly the sense shattering conclusion.

The question is, can Don't Look Now really be called a horror movie? Yes, it does have a serial killer and there is a death (well, two deaths...) but it's more about the relationship between the Baxters. The horror element is secondary -until the end and then it's inescapable - so it's not a horror film in modern parlance, but I', not sure what category or genre it comfortably sits in.
This film haunted me for weeks and is an emotionally powerful film, as well as being bleakly beautiful -mainly due to it's watery setting. This is a definite must and, to me, really highlights everything that is missing from modern film.

I suppose that for modern audiences there would be little of interest in the Wicker Man to hold their 30 second attention spans. For them the film is ponderously slow, with archaic folksy music, an almost wooden performance by Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee sporting a questionable haircut...

BUT....

If they actually stop and see what the film is about, think about the ramifications, put themselves in Sgt Howie's shoes and understand what is actually happening in the story then they will get swept up in one of the greatest horror films of all time.

Yes, the film is slow - but that's because it has a STORY!!! This is a story that has so much substance to it and deals in subtlety. Yes, I know that term is a dirty word these days, but indulge me.... The Wicker Man rewards those people that appreciate the subtleties and the more you know about folk myths and legends then the quicker you'll pick up on those subtleties and the more impact the final scenes will have. Another fact - this film actually gets better on the second viewing - knowing what actually happens in the end laces the film with a sense of inevitability as you actually start noticing the details; the signs and portents that I alluded to earlier.

Sgt Howie is a straight laced Christian copper (gawd bless-‘um), almost puritanical in his faith - so Edward Woodward's portrayal of him is spot on. And it took an actor of Woodward's capability to be able to play off Howie's subtleties - especially when it came to his pivotal scenes with Christopher Lee.

The folk music is an integral part of the film and adds to the mood (and I happen to really like folk music!!)

This is a film that deserves to be re-released on the cinema so a whole new generation can see what makes a real horror film. Horror is not about what can be seen (The Blair Witch Project proved that), it's all in the mind. The true horror in the Wicker Man is not in the final scene's, it's actually in the realisation that for the whole film Sgt Howie has been a mere pawn in the most deadly game of all.

This is not a film that gives away it's secrets easily; don't expect closure here. The story has roots deeply embedded in our collective psyche, and like I said, the more you know - or even, the more open your mind is - the more you will fall under it's spell.

Oh - Christopher Lee does have a dodgy haircut - but his performance is electrifying and ranks as one of his best roles!