Blu-ray Review: Hara-kiri - Death of a Samurai (2011)

Hara-kiri: Death of a Samurai is director Takashi Miike’s second dip into the waters of feudal Japan in as many years, and like the well received 13 Assassins (see my review – although note that I now like the film more than I did when I wrote it, enough to rank it my eighth favourite film of last year) it is a remake. The original in this instance, though not as well known as Kurosawa’s many samurai classics, is revered as a masterpiece, so Miike was taking a bit of a risk in updating it – in 3D no less. But, even more so than 13 Assassins, Hara-kiri is a restrained piece; largely contained within two small locations (a feudal lord’s palace, and an impoverished samurai’s own house) and with a marked economy of motion in both camera and actors.

Blu-ray Review: Super 8 (2011)

Super 8 sets its stall out early with its opening logos. After the familiar Paramount peak, we see a boy cycling in front of the moon: the Amblin logo, Steven Spielberg's company, its iconic motif of course spawned from E.T.. Only then is it followed by J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot insignia. Not only does it show just how reverently Abrams regards Spielberg, it also encapsulates the tone, subject matter and even time period of the film to follow. Super 8 is a shameless Spielberg riff through and through - and manages to be the best Spielberg film since the heyday of The Beard himself. A cinematic love child of Close Encounters and E.T., albeit with a rather less friendly alien beastie at its centre, Super 8 encapsulates exactly the sort of exuberant fun, married to real heart and soul, that propelled the young Spielberg to such unmatched heights of critical and commercial success.

Cinema Review: Prometheus (2012)

In the months prior to the release of Prometheus, Ridley Scott has been trying his hardest to distance his new film from Alien, refusing to call it a prequel. All the early signs suggested a prequel is exactly what it is, and indeed, in the sense that it depicts events that take place before those in the 1979 classic, it fulfils the prequel brief to a tee. However, expectant viewers should retain Sir Rid's comments in their head before watching, because Prometheus certainly doesn't play the simple join-the-dots game that may have been anticipated. It really doesn't dovetail much into Alien, and provides few clear answers to any of the burning questions, such as, "where is the alien from?" or "how did the derelict spaceship full of eggs end up crashed on that planet?" If answers are what you're here for, prepare to be disappointed.