Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!
Well folks, after another extraordinary kind of a year, Christmas time has rolled around again and Santa hats and Christmas jumpers are being wielded with intent across the country.
Whether you are looking for epic box sets or last minute stocking fillers, this year has had some great offerings. The team here at Road Rash have assembled some of our favourite contenders for the gift list this year.
For the horror fan in your life, there have been many great releases this year, head over to our Halloween Guide to check them out.
It has been a great year for anime fans, seeing the release of some iconic titles, including Neon Genesis Evangelion, Robotech and Josee The Tiger and The Fish.
5 Star
A Choir of Angels.
For forty years now, Hideaki Anno (Sugar Sugar Rune (TV Series) (51 episodes)) has been involved with Evangelion since it’s conception back in 1995. Now Anime.Ltd has brought it to the UK for the first time on Blu-ray. All twenty-six episodes and the two Forty-five minute films that retell the contentious final episodes concerning the “Human...more
5 Star
85 Episodes of Aliens and Mecha.
When Carl Macek (Captain Harlock and the Queen of a Thousand Years, Robotech II: The Sentinels) created Robotech: The Macross Saga, he couldn’t have imagined that it would lead to eighty-five episodes plus plenty of spinoff films, and would be still a firm favourite thirty-plus years later. It tells the tale of Zor’s Battle...more
4 star heartwarming and thought provoking romantic anime.
Josee, the Tiger and the Fish is a 2020 Japanese animated romantic comedy drama film, based on the short story of the same name by Seiko Tanabe. It is directed by Kotaro Tamura, with screenplay by Sayaka Kuwamura. It is produced by Studio Bones (Eureka Seven AO, Fullmetal Alchemist) and is showing now...more
There have been some real old classics released too, with some glorious box sets including Early Universal Volumes 1 and 2, Karloff at Columbia, The Yokai Monsters Collection, Dune Limited Edition and Maigret: The Complete Series.
4 Star
The Voice of Silence.
#250-252 in Eureka’s Masters of Cinema releases comes a true look back in time to the silent Silver-screen, with three very different films in this, the first volume of classic films from that golden era of the roaring 1920’s. The Boom before the Bust of the 1930’s.
Firstly we have a classic comedy from director William A....more
5 Star
Fantasy, Drama and Comedy from the Silent Silver Screen.
From the time when cinemas would be packed for the feature of the day, the 1920s, a time before the speaking films. The orchestra would convey the mood of the film as the intertitles show the dialogue. These films have been deemed as significant and have been restored for posterity, this...more
5 Star
Bigotry Leads to Skulduggery.
From the master of horror that was Boris Karloff (The mummy, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Mask of Fu Manchu, Black Friday) comes a collection of his films from the 1930’s-40’s while he was contracted to Columbia. A lot has been written about this period in cinematic history and most say it was Universal that were...more
4 Star
Bad Men, an Ancient Daemon and the Yokai.
From the writer of the Daimajin trilogy (Tetsurô Yoshida, Hoodlum Soldier: Looting and Pillaging) who has been inspired by folk-lore of the Japanese people throughout history and brings them to life with the help of directors Kimiyoshi Yasuda (Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Satan) and Yoshiyuki Kuroda (Lone Wolf and Cub:...more
4 Star
Class Sci-Fi Extravaganza.
The classic-of-all-classic-Sci-Fi’s hits the shelves in this Limited Edition 4K UHD Arrow release. The David Lynch (The Elephant Man, Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks (TV Series), Mulholland Drive) 1984 adaptation of Frank Herbert‘s (Dune Messiah, Children of Dune) Sci-Fi masterpiece that has been a hit with fans since 1984, once you are hooked, you can never be...more
5 star remastered Blu-ray and DVD release of the BBC classic series.
Maigret: The Complete Series is based on the best selling books by Georges Simenon. There have been many adaptations over the years but this BAFTA winning portrayal of the character by Rupert Davies (Joe 90, War and Peace) is arguably the best.
Following the sell out success of the Limited...more
If you are looking for something a little more festive there are a few gems to consider, The Singing Ringing Tree is reminiscent of a pantomime in a terrifying kind of way. There is Christmas Crush, Christmas At Cattle Hill, great for the youngsters and if you fancy something a bit more sinister, why not visit Christmas Land with NOS4A2 Seasons 1 & 2.
4 stars of surreally beautiful German fairy tale.
The Singing Ringing Tree is an East German film originally released in 1957, based on a story by the Brothers Grimm. Its original name was Das singende, klingende Bäumchen. It is directed by Francesco Stefani, with a screen play by Anne Geelhaar and first made it to the UK in 1960, when...more
3 stars of heartwarming teen drama/romance.
Christmas Crush a.k.a. Middleton Christmas is an American family drama film written by Suzanne DeLaurentis (10th and Wolf, D-railed) and Tricia Aurand and directed by Dale Fabrigar (Lonely Boy).
“What you’re proposing is anarchy. We allow Deck the Halls in September and what’s next? Fireworks in March? Pumpkin Spice Lattes in April?”
Max (Michael Varde – Hollow...more
4 stars of animated festive family fun on the farm.
Christmas at Cattle Hill is an enchanting Norwegian animated film for children, written by Ole Christian Solbakken and directed by Will Ashurst (Anchors Up). It is presented here on Digital Platforms with an English dub courtesy of Signature Entertainment.
“Sheds and Wildlife are going to wet themselves with seasonal glee. It’s the...more
4 Star
A Biker Chick, A Witch and a Wraith.
From the writer that brought us the dark family story of Locke and Key, Joe Hill (pen name) brings us a modern day vampire story, where a supernatural car helps keep its owner alive to do his life given quest. And the girls that must put a stop to his dastardly deeds.
In...more
If you are looking for comedy, look no further than one of the latest Marvel films Black Widow, the laugh out loud funny Saving Grace and the endearing The Paper Tigers.
4 stars of action packed Marvel character back story.
In true Marvel style, Phase 4 of the Cinematic Universe comes crashing onto our screens in dramatic fashion with Black Widow. Directed by Cate Shortland (Somersault, Lore) and with a screenplay by Eric Pearson (Thor: Ragnarok, Godzilla vs. Kong), this film is set between the events of Captain America: Civil War and...more
4 star classic darkly funny British crime comedy.
Saving Grace is written by Mark Crowdy (Doc Martin) with a screenplay by Craig Ferguson (How to Train Your Dragon), who also stars. Directed by Nigel Cole (Calendar Girls, Made in Dagenham), it was originally released to great acclaim in 2000 and interestingly led to the highly successful spin-off series Doc Martin, starring...more
4 star gloriously nostalgic martial arts fun.
The Paper Tigers is written and directed by Quoc Bao Tran, a most impressive feature directorial debut. This warm hearted and earnest film is sure to delight everyone.
After opening the Fighting Spirit Film Festival on September 11th, The Paper Tigers will be released on Digital Platforms including Altitude Films from 20th Sept 2021.
“I swear...more
If you fancy a little something non fictional, there have been some excellent documentaries released this year, including The Beatles and India for music fans, and for motor sport enthusiasts, Mosley It’s Complicated and The Brabham Documentary.
4 star fascinating music documentary.
The Beatles and India is the feature debut of Ajoy Bose, co-directed by Pete Compton and produced by British Indian music entrepreneur Reynold D’Silva. It is inspired by Ajoy Bose’s book Across the Universe. It takes a look at this crucial period of the development of the Beatles from a fresh perspective.
“When I first heard Indian...more
5 Star
How to Become Public Enemy #1
Producer and first time director Michael Shevloff (Nanny 911 (TV Series) (co-executive producer – 15 episodes)) gets in with one of the most controversial sporting figures of the last fifty plus years. With most of the testament is from the man himself, Max Mosley, as well as those that were with him from the...more
5 Star
Gasoline, Testosterone and True Grit.
From first time writer, director and actor Akos Armont (The Railway Man, House Husbands (TV Series)), he brings us an in depth look into one of the true greats of motor racing history Sir Jack Brabham (1926-2014 88yrs). A man who helped shape the face and safety of all modern formulas of motor racing today....more
And finally, but absolutely by no means least, the ultimate in Christmas stocking fillers, Morecambe and Wise!
4 star festive blast from the past.
Morecambe and Wise: Xmas at ITV features the final six Christmas specials starring Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise and made for Thames Television, as shown on ITV between 1978 and 1983.
These episodes are presented here on DVD, three of them for the first time since they originally aired, courtesy of Network Distributing.
“I’ve got a...more
Well, that’s our round up of this years festive treats. From all of us here at Road Rash Reviews we would like to wish all of our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.
Have a great time, stay safe and above all, have fun!
Category: Review