Blu-Ray

  • Wanted: Dead Or Alive [Blu-ray]Wanted: Dead Or Alive | Blu Ray | (12/06/2023) from £13.85   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

    The CIA turns to former agent Nick Randall (Rutger Hauer), now a bounty hunter who 'collects' criminal low-life for a very hefty price. When terrorist Malak (Gene Simmons) kills two of Randall's closest friends, hunting him down becomes a personal vendetta. His relentless pursuit through the bomb-ridden streets of Los Angeles finally ends in an explosive and bloody confrontation, which will mean life or death to tens of thousands of people Product Features English SDH subtitles Audio commentary by Director Gary Sherman and Executive Producer Arthur M. Sarkissian Interview with Producer Arthur M. Sarkissian Interview with Director Gary Sherman Interview with Mel Harris Theatrical Trailer

  • Four Weddings and A Funeral [Blu-ray]Four Weddings and A Funeral | Blu Ray | (12/05/2014) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

    When it was released in 1994 Four Weddings and a Funeral quickly became a huge international success, pulling in the kind of audiences most British films only dream of. It's proof that sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. In terms of plot, the title pretty much says it all. Revolving around… well, four weddings and a funeral (though not in that order), the film follows Hugh Grant's confirmed bachelor Charles as he falls for visiting American Carrie (Andy McDowell), whom he keeps bumping into at various functions. But with this most basic of premises, screenwriter Richard Curtis has crafted a moving and thoughtful comedy about the perils of singledom and that ever-elusive search for true love. In the wrong hands, it could have been a horribly schmaltzy affair, but Curtis' script--crammed with great one-liners and beautifully judged characterisations--keeps things sharp and snappy, harking back to the sparkling Hollywood romantic comedies of the 1930s and 1940s. The supporting cast, including Kristin Scott Thomas, Simon Callow and Rowan Atkinson (who starred in the Curtis-scripted television show Blackadder) is first rate, at times almost too good--John Hannah's rendition of WH Auden's poem "Funeral Blues" over the coffin of his lover is so moving you think the film will struggle to re-establish its ineffably buoyant mood. But it does, thanks in no small part to Hugh Grant as the bumbling Charles (whose star-making performance compensates for a less-than-dazzling Andie MacDowell). Though it's hardly the fault of Curtis and his team, the success of the Four Weddings did have its downside, triggering a rash of inferior British romantic comedies. In fact, we had to wait until 1999's Notting Hill for another UK film to match its winning charm (scripted, again, by Curtis and also starring Grant). --Edward Lawrenson

  • Novocaine [Blu-ray] [Region A & B & C]Novocaine | Blu Ray | (23/06/2025) from £12.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

    When the girl of his dreams (Amber Midthunder) is kidnapped, everyman Nate (Jack Quaid) turns his inability to feel pain into an unexpected strength in his fight to get her back.

  • The Expanse: Season One [Official UK Release] [Blu-Ray]The Expanse: Season One | Blu Ray | (13/08/2018) from £12.98   |  Saving you £4.01 (36.49%)   |  RRP £15.00

    The Expanse is a thriller set two hundred years in the future, after mankind has colonised the solar system. A hardened detective (Thomas Jane) and a rogue ship's captain (Steven Strait) come together for what starts as the case of a missing young woman and evolves into a race across the solar system to expose the greatest conspiracy in human history. Includes subtitles for the Hard Of Hearing

  • JUGGERNAUT (aka TERROR ON THE BRITANNIC) (Eureka Classics) Limited Edition Blu-rayJUGGERNAUT (aka TERROR ON THE BRITANNIC) (Eureka Classics) Limited Edition Blu-ray | Blu Ray | (18/11/2024) from £14.79   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

    Unrelentingly tense suspense thriller on the high seas featuring an all-star ensemble cast Eureka Entertainment to release JUGGERNAUT, an edge-of-the-seat shipboard thriller starring Richard Harris, Omar Sharif and an all-star ensemble cast. Presented on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK from a high-definition restoration. Available from 18 November 2024 as part of the Eureka Classics range, the Limited edition release of 2000 copies will exclusively feature an O-card slipcase, and a collector's booklet. Featuring an all-star ensemble cast in Richard Harris (The Guns of Navarone), Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs), Omar Sharif (Lawrence of Arabia), Ian Holm (Chariots of Fire), David Hemmings (The Charge of the Light Brigade) and Shirley Knight (The Counterfeit Killer), Juggernaut is an unrelentingly tense suspense thriller directed by Richard Lester (A Hard Day's Night). The cruise liner SS Britannic is travelling through the North Atlantic with over a thousand passengers on board. As the vessel drifts through the vast ocean, its owner Nicholas Porter (Holm) receives a call from a man who identifies himself only as Juggernaut. The ominous voice on the telephone informs Porter that there are explosives planted aboard the Britannic, and that he will sink the ship at dawn unless a hefty ransom is paid. A race against time then begins as Captain Alex Brunel (Sharif), Royal Navy officer Anthony Fallon (Harris) and police superintendent John McLeod (Hopkins) work together across land and sea in a desperate attempt to avert certain disaster and secure the safety of the ship's passengers. Inspired by a real-life bomb threat against the Queen Elizabeth 2 on 17 May 1972 and drawing on a popular taste in the 1970s for taut crime thrillers and disaster movies, Juggernaut is one of the most entertaining and suspenseful British films of the decade. Eureka Classics is proud to present the film on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK from a high-definition restoration.

  • Theo & Hugo [Blu-ray]Theo & Hugo | Blu Ray | (05/12/2016) from £10.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

    Théo and Hugo encounter each other's bodies one night in a Paris sex club. Wanting to know more about each other, they leave the club and drift down the deserted streets of nocturnal Paris. Suddenly they find themselves confronted by a sense of reality that wipes out their freedom and lends each step an existential helplessness. Do they want to know more about each other? Will their trust be rewarded? What are their expectations? Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau (Drôle de Félix, Born in 68) deliver their most ambitious film yet, displaying a consummate sensitivity in bringing us closer to two men as they strive for intimacy in spite of being stalled by their insecurity.

  • Dexter: New Blood [Blu-ray] [2022] [Region Free]Dexter: New Blood | Blu Ray | (18/04/2022) from £21.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

    Michael C. Hall returns to his Golden Globe®-winning role as Dexter Morgan. The world at large believes Dexter died in a tragic boating accident, and in a way the world at large isn't wrong. Far from the life he knew, living under a false name in the small town of Iron Lake, NY, he's successfully tamped down his Dark Passenger for nearly 10 years. With a normal job and a Chief of Police girlfriend, it seems he's got life under control until his son shows up and turns his world upside down. Rattled, Dexter yields to his homicidal urges and soon finds himself on a collision course with a very dangerous local. Jennifer Carpenter and Golden Globe® winner John Lithgow also return to reprise their iconic roles as Debra Morgan and the infamous Trinity Killer. This 4-disc set includes every shocking episode, an exclusive 30-minute behind-the-scenes featurette and more! Product Features Why Now? Dissecting Dexter: New Blood: Deb Is Back Dissecting Dexter: New Blood: The Kill Room All Out On The Table

  • IT 2-Film Collection [Blu-ray] [2020] [Region Free]IT 2-Film Collection | Blu Ray | (03/02/2020) from £19.64   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

    When children begin to disappear in the town of Derry, Maine, a group of young kids are faced with their biggest fears when they square off against an evil clown named Pennywise, whose history of murder and violence dates back for centuries. Because every 27 years evil revisits the town of Derry, Maine, IT Chapter Two brings the characterswho've long since gone their separate waysback together as adults, nearly three decades after the events of the first film.

  • The Vengeance Trilogy [Blu-ray]The Vengeance Trilogy | Blu Ray | (09/12/2019) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

    This collection presents Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy and Lady Vengeance, the lauded trilogy of revenge films directed by internationally acclaimed Korean director Park Chan-wook (The Handmaiden). Sympathy for Mr Vengeance tells the harrowing tale of a young deaf-mute man, Ryu, who kidnaps a wealthy businessman's daughter in an attempt to extort money to pay for his sister's kidney transplant. A terrible accident sets the child's father on a fateful path of revenge. Oldboy tells the grisly story of Oh Dae-su, a normal man inexplicably imprisoned in a grim hotel room-like cell for 15 years, without knowing his captor or the reason for his incarceration. Eventually released, he searches for answers and retribution. Lady Vengeance tells of Lee Geum-ja, a model prisoner serving a sentence for a murder she did not commit, who plots a dastardly revenge against the real murderer when she gets out. Park Chan-wook's visually stunning masterworks of revenge are presented in this new collection with a massive array of extras, including the feature-length Oldboy making-of documentary Old Days. Special Edition Contents: Four-disc set featuring Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, Lady Vengeance and the feature-length documentary Old Days Special edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Justin Erickson DISC ONE - SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentation Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 stereo English subtitles Audio commentary by director Park Chan-wook and filmmaker Ryoo Seung-wan Screaming for Vengeance, Kim Newman on the Vengeance Trilogy and the tradition of revenge films Extensive archival making-of featurettes, behind the scenes featurettes and cast and crew interviews Trailers Image gallery DISC TWO - OLDBOY 4K restoration from the original camera negative supervised by director Park Chan-wook High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentation Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 stereo Original Korean and English soundtracks Music and effects track Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack English subtitles for the Korean soundtrack ¢ Audio commentary with director Park Chan-wook Audio commentary with Park Chan-wook and cinematographer Jung Jung-hoon Audio commentary with Park Chan-wook, Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae and Kang Hye-jung Audio commentary with critic Jasper Sharp and writer Simon Ward Out of the Past, video appreciation by Asian film expert Tony Rayns Deleted scenes with optional director commentary Behind the scenes featurettes Extensive cast and crew interviews Trailers and teasers Image gallery DISC THREE - OLD DAYS Old Days: An Oldboy Story, acclaimed feature-length 2016 documentary about Park Chan-wook's masterpiece Autobiography of Oldboy, a three and-a-half-hour video diary of the making of Oldboy DISC FOUR - LADY VENGEANCE High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentation of two versions of the film, the original theatrical version and the fade to black and white version Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 stereo English subtitles Audio commentary by director Park Chan-wook, director of photography Jung Jung-hoon and art director Jo Hwa-seong Audio commentary by director Park Chan-wook and actress Lee Yeong-ae Audio commentary by academic Richard Peña Extensive archival making-of featurettes, behind the scenes featurettes, cast and crew interviews and alternate scenes Trailers Image gallery

  • The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection (4K UHD) [Blu-ray] [2020] [Region Free]The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection (4K UHD) | Blu Ray | (07/09/2020) from £71.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

    4 ESSENTIAL FILMS FROM THE MASTER OF SUSPENSE Universally recognized as the Master of Suspense, the legendary Alfred Hitchcock directed some of cinema's most thrilling and unforgettable classics. The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection features four iconic films from the acclaimed director's illustrious career including Rear Window, Vertigo, Psycho and The Birds in stunning 4K resolution. Starring Hollywood favourites such as James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Tippi Hedren, Kim Novak and Rod Taylor, this essential collection features hours of bonus features as well as the original uncut version of Psycho for the first time ever. INCLUDES 2 VERSIONS OF PSYCHO PSYCHO UNCUT: The extended version of the movie as seen in theaters in 1960 is exactly as intended by Alfred Hitchcock and now available with additional footage for the first time ever PSYCHO: The most widely seen version of the movie was edited for content and subsequently used for TV broadcasts, theatrical re-releases and home entertainment over the last 60 years PLUS HOURS OF BONUS FEATURES

  • Enter the Dragon Steelbook [4K Ultra HD] [1973] [Blu-ray]Enter the Dragon Steelbook | Blu Ray | (18/08/2025) from £28.49   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

    On Disc Special Features Introduction by Linda Lee Caldwell Commentary by Paul Heller 3 Documentaries: Blood and Steel: The Making of Enter the Dragon, The Curse of the Dragon, and Bruce Lee: In His Own Words No Way As Way The Return to Han's Island Wing Chun: The Art That Introduced Kung Fu to Bruce Lee Linda Lee Caldwell Interview Gallery Vintage Featurette: Location: Hong Kong with Enter the Dragon Backyard Workout with Bruce And More!

  • I Want To Eat Your Pancreas - Blu-rayI Want To Eat Your Pancreas - Blu-ray | Blu Ray | (24/02/2020) from £11.89   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

    From the original story by Yoru Sumino. With no interest in others, a high schooler spends all of his time reading books - this is me. One day, I comes across a book, titled Living With Dying. It turns out to be a secret journal kept by Sakura Yamauchi, who is a popular girl in class with a genuine personality. Diagnosed with a pancreatic illness, the diary notes about her limited time left. Sakura, who lives with a secret illness, and me, who keeps her secret. --- Their relationship doesn't have a name yet.

  • Carrie [Blu-ray]Carrie | Blu Ray | (16/04/2018) from £16.39   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

    In 1974, Stephen King published his first novel, the story of Carrie White, a troubled young girl, bullied by her peers and daughter to a fanatical fundamentalist mother, who discovers she has telekinetic powers. In 1976, it became the first of his works to be adapted for the big screen and, to this day, remains one of the very best. Carrie marked Brian De Palma's arrival as a major director, following smaller cult films such as Sisters, Phantom of the Paradise and Obsession, and provided a key early role for Sissy Spacek (Badlands), one that would earn her a Best Actress nomination at the Academy Awards. Piper Laurie would also pick up a nomination, for Best Supporting Actress, as Carrie's mother, while future stars such as Amy Irving, John Travolta and Nancy Allen were give their first major parts in a big-screen production. Restored in 4K from the original negative, this collector's edition provides the definitive release of a horror classic. Extras: 4K restoration from the original negative High Definition (1080p) presentation DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio and uncompressed 1.0 mono soundtracks Optional subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing Commentary by Lee Gambin, author of Nope, Nothing Wrong Here: The Making of Cujo, and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, author of Cultographies: Ms. 45 and Devil's Advocates: Suspiria, recorded exclusively for this release Brand-new visual essay comparing the various versions and adaptations of Carrie across the years Acting Carrie, archive featurette containing interviews with director Brian De Palma, actors Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, William Katt and others More Acting Carrie, additional interviews with the cast of the film Visualising Carrie: From Words to Images, archive featurette containing interviews with De Palma, writer Lawrence D. Cohen, editor Paul Hirsch and art director Jack Fisk Singing Carrie: Carrie the Musical, archive featurette on the stage musical adaptation of King's novel Writing Carrie, an interview with writer Lawrence D. Cohen Shooting Carrie, an interview with cinematographer Mario Tosi Cutting Carrie, an interview with editor Paul Hirsch Casting Carrie, an interview with casting director Harriet B. Helberg Bucket of Blood, an interview with composer Pino Donaggio Horror's Hallowed Grounds, a look back at the locations of Carrie Gallery Trailer TV spots Radio spots Carrie trailer reel Reversible sleeve featuring original and new artwork by Laz Marquez

  • The Specialists [Gli Specialisti] (Eureka Classics) Blu-rayThe Specialists | Blu Ray | (18/05/2020) from £11.85   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

    From Sergio Corbucci, the legendary director of Django, Navajo Joe, The Great Silence, Companeros and The Mercenary comes The Specialists (Gli Specialisti, aka Drop Them or I'll Shoot), a thrilling spaghetti western starring French music and film great Johnny Hallyday (The Man on the Train, Détective, Vengeance). Notorious gunfighter Hud Dixon (Hallyday) arrives in Blackstone, a town where his brother was wrongfully accused of robbing a bank and lynched for it. As Hud seeks revenge, he starts to discover the truth behind the stolen loot, and has to contend with an idealistic sheriff, a beautiful and seductive female banker, a corrupt businessman and a one-armed Mexican bandit, who was once his friend. Also starring Gastone Moschin (The Conformist, Caliber 9), Françoise Fabian (Belle de Jour, My Night at Maud's), and gorgeously filmed by Dario Di Palma (The Seduction of Mimi, The Oldest Profession), Eureka Classics is proud to present Gli Specialisti on Blu-ray from a new 4K restoration. Special Features: LIMITED EDITION O-CARD SLIPCASE [First Print Run of 2000 units] 1080p presentation on Blu-ray from an incredible 4K restoration Restored Italian and French audio options Rarely heard English dub track Optional English subtitles Feature-length audio commentary by filmmaker Alex Cox A brand new and exclusive interview with Austin Fisher, author of Radical Frontiers in the Spaghetti Western: Politics, Violence and Popular Italian Cinema Trailer PLUS: A LIMITED EDITION collector's booklet [First Print Run of 2000 units] featuring new writing by western authority Howard Hughes on both the film, and the French-western sub-genre

  • The Salt Path [Blu-ray]The Salt Path | Blu Ray | (08/09/2025) from £7.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

    Based on Raynor Winn's bestseller, The Salt Path tells the emotional and life-affirming story of a couple whose connection with the natural world helps them overcome challenges and ultimately reconnect with one another.

  • Wild Britain (Hugh Bonneville) [Blu-ray]Wild Britain (Hugh Bonneville) | Blu Ray | (29/10/2018) from £16.29   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

    All 8 parts of the Channel 5 series, narrated by Hugh Bonneville. Britain's wildlife can be secretive, so often goes unnoticed. This series reveals the hidden lives of both the familiar and the more unusual animals with which we share our island home. Each of the diverse habitats offers opportunities and challenges to creatures great and small. We meet a cast of engaging animal characters at key moments in their lives, as low-light cameras expose rarely-seen nocturnal behaviour and macro lenses focus on little-known Britons. From the Cornish coast to the Shetland Islands, from Norfolk beaches to the cliffs of Anglesey, this series celebrates the stunning wildlife living on our doorstep. Episodes: Mountains Forests Coasts Rivers Water Worlds Islands Countryside Cities

  • Doctor Who - Spearhead from Space Special Edition [Blu-ray]Doctor Who - Spearhead from Space Special Edition | Blu Ray | (15/07/2013) from £6.79   |  Saving you £13.20 (194.40%)   |  RRP £19.99

    Exile! The Time Lords have banished the newly regenerated Doctor to Earth... But The Doctor isn't the only alien to have arrived as a swarm of meteorites have crashed into the sleepy English countryside bringing with them a terrible new threat to mankind. As the Nestene plan takes shape Unit The Doctor and his newly appointed scientific advisor Liz Shaw race against time to stop humanity from being replaced by a terrifying plastic facsimile race. With an Auton army on the rise and no Tardis to help him could The Doctor's latest incarnation be over before its truly begun?...

  • The Case Of The Scorpion's Tail [Blu-ray]The Case Of The Scorpion's Tail | Blu Ray | (16/07/2018) from £18.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

    One of the major consequences of Western Europe s post-war Economic Miracle was the proliferation of international travel. Eager to tap into audiences desire to experience the glamour of the jet set lifestyle, the popular filmmakers of the day rushed to make the most of the exotic locales at their disposal. Arguably no other giallo captured this trend as vividly as The Case of the Scorpion s Tail. The film begins in London, where Lisa Baumer (Evelyn Stewart, The Psychic) learns that her husband has died in a freak plane accident. Summoned to Athens to collect his generous life insurance policy, she soon discovers that others besides herself are keen to get their hands on the money and are willing to kill for it. Meanwhile, private detective Peter Lynch (George Hilton, The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh) arrives to investigate irregularities in the insurance claim. Teaming up with a beautiful reporter, Cléo Dupont (Anita Strindberg, Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key), Lynch resolves to unearth the truth... before he too ends up on the wrong end of the murderer s straight razor. The second giallo by genre master Sergio Martino (Torso, The Suspicious Death of a Minor), The Case of the Scorpion s Tail combines stunning views of Athens and the Greek coastline with brutal bursts of violence, a typically tangled script by Ernesto Gastaldi (Death Walks on High Heels), and a cast overflowing with Euro cult talent, including Alberto de Mendoza (A Lizard in a Woman s Skin), Janine Reynaud (Jess Franco s Succubus) and Luigi Pistilli (A Bay of Blood). SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS: Brand new 2K restoration of the film from the original camera negative High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation Original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack Audio commentary with writer Ernesto Gastaldi, moderated by filmmaker Federico Caddeo (in Italian with English subtitles) New interview with star George Hilton New interview with director Sergio Martino New analysis Sergio Martino s films by Mikel J. Koven, author of La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film New video essay by Troy Howarth, author of So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films Theatrical trailer Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Rachael Nisbet and Howard Hughes, and a biography of star Anita Strindberg by Peter Jilmstad

  • Beauty & The Beast [Blu-ray] [2017]Beauty & The Beast | Blu Ray | (17/07/2017) from £7.98   |  Saving you £2.06 (34.39%)   |  RRP £8.05

    The story and characters audiences know and love come to spectacular life in the live-action adaptation of Disney's animated classic Beauty and the Beast, a stunning, cinematic event celebrating one of the most beloved tales ever told. Beauty and the Beast is the fantastic journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a Beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle's enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast's hideous exterior and realize the kind heart of the true Prince within. The film stars: Emma Watson as Belle; Dan Stevens as the Beast; Luke Evans as Gaston, the handsome, but shallow villager who woos Belle; Kevin Kline as Maurice, Belle's father; Josh Gad as Le Fou, Gaston's long-suffering aide-de-camp; Ewan McGregor as Lumière, the candelabra; Stanley Tucci as Maestro Cadenza, the harpsichord; Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette, the feather duster; Audra McDonald as Madame De Garderobe, the wardrobe; Hattie Morahan as the enchantress; and Nathan Mack as Chip, the teacup; with Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, the mantel clock; and Emma Thompson as the teapot, Mrs. Potts.

  • Man with a Movie Camera (and other works by Dziga Vertov) (1929) [Masters of Cinema] 2-Disc Blu-ray editionMan with a Movie Camera (and other works by Dziga Vertov) (1929) | Blu Ray | (17/07/2017) from £54.54   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

    "An experiment in the creative communication of visible events without the aid of inter-titles, a scenario or theatre "aiming at creating a truly international absolute language of cinema," is how the inter-titles describe what is about to be seen. Bold claims indeed, but in its awesome sophistication The Man with a Movie Camera does live up to them, making it one of the most contemporary of silent movies. The subject, the life of a city from dawn to dusk, was not original even for 1928, but its treatment was--the cameraman as voyeur, social commentator and prankster, exploiting every trick permissible with the technology of the day (slow motion, dissolves, split screens, freeze frames, stop motion animation, etc). A young woman stirs in her bed, apparently fighting a nightmare in which a cameraman is about to be crushed by an oncoming train. She wakes up, and the sequence is revealed to be a simple trick shot. As she blinks her weary eyes, the shutters of her window mimic her viewpoint, and the iris of the camera spins open. Self-reflexive wit like this abounds here--there's even a delicious counterpoint made between the splicing of film and the painting of a woman's nails.The film was the brainchild of the Moscow-based film-maker Dziga Vertov (real name Denis Arkadyevich Kaufman), a furiously inventive poet of the cinema who made innumerable shorts about daily life (such as the much-quoted "Kino-Pravda"), and played at candid camerawork and cinema vérité long before they became the clichés of the television age. The editing has a fantastic abandon that makes most pop videos look sluggish. --David Thompson

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