Directed by Henry Saine, The Last Lovecraft (2009) is a horror comedy that follows the adventures of an ordinary man who finds out he is the last descendant of horror master H.P. Lovecraft and is forced to fight the monsters created by his illustrious ancestor. The Last Lovecraft is released on DVD in the UK by Kaleidoscope on 4 April 2011.
Comic review by Hannah Berry
Hannah Berry is the author of the graphic murder mystery Britten and Brulightly, published by Random House. For more information, go to the Random House website.
A light, sugar-coated take on Truman Capote’s novella, the elegant, sparkly Hollywood classic screens at BFI Southbank and around the UK from January 21. Audrey Hepburn stars in her most famous role as call-girl Holly Golightly, whose charming frothiness hides a tragic past.
Comic review by Francesca Cassavetti
For more information on Francesca Cassavetti, go to fabtoons.com.
Jean Renoir’s restored Boudu sauvé des eaux (Boudu Saved from Drowning, 1932) can be seen in UK cinemas from December 17, distributed by Park Cirucs. Celebrated actor Michel Simon plays a tramp who, after being rescued by a Parisian bookseller, causes mayhem in his bourgeois household. The restoration was carried out through the digitalisation of the original nitrate negative image and a ‘safety’ print. A previously missing scene, probably censored for its provocative content, was restored, allowing presentation of a more complete version of the film.
Comic review by David Baillie
For more information on David Baillie, go to his website.
Written and directed by Takao Nakano, the man responsible for Sexual Parasite: Killer Pussy, Sumo Vixens and the ExorSister movies, Big Tits Zombie is based on Rei Mikamoto’s infamous manga, Kyonyu Dragon. Big Tits Zombie 3D is available on DVD in the UK from Terracotta Distribution.
Charlie Chaplin’s 1931 silent comedy drama sees The Tramp fall in love with a beautiful, poor, blind flower girl. It is released on Dual Format (DVD + Blu-ray) on November 15 by Park Circus. The Circus and The Chaplin Revue, a collection of his short films, are released on the same day.
This slow-paced, atmospheric Swiss sci-fi movie is set in a grim future where Earth has become inhabitable. With hopes of joining her sister on the paradise planet Rhea, a doctor working on a spaceship gradually discovers the sinister truth behind the official version of reality. Released in 2009 and directed by Ivan Engler and Ralph Etter, it is available in the UK on DVD and Blu-ray from Elevation Sales.
Comic Review by Paul Rainey
For more information on Paul Rainey, go to his website.
George A Romero’s 1977 Martin offers a remarkably ambiguous, playful, disturbing and original take on the vampire. It has just been released by Arrow Video as a two-disc collector’s edition, including the Italian cut of the film (believed to have been re-edited by Dario Argento and missing some scenes from the US version), which is reviewed below.
Comic Review by Adam Cadwell
For more information on Adam Cadwell, go to his website.
To mark the BFI release of the Kurosawa Samurai Collection, Karen Rubins gives The Hidden Fortress the comic strip treatment. The 5-disc DVD box set containing Seven Samurai (1954), Throne of Blood (1957), The Hidden Fortress (1958), Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1962) is released on June 7. This box-set is released alongside BFI Southbank’s Akira Kurosawa and His Influence, a season running from June 1 to July 8, which marks the centenary of Kurosawa’s birth with a season of films made by both the seminal filmmaker himself and those he has influenced. It includes an extended run of Rashomon (1951). More information on the BFI website.
Comic Review by Karen Rubins
For more information on Karen Rubins, go to her website or her blog.
