Director – Karel Zeman – 1961 – Czechoslovakia – Cert. U – 85m ***** Available on Blu-ray/DVD and now on BFI Player too. This capsule review originally appeared in Reform in 2017 as part of a wider Watch And Talk review roundup. Using not only live action but also every form of animation you can […]
Director – Karel Zeman – 1958 – Czechoslovakia – Cert. U – 82m ***** Blu-ray/DVD available from Second Run. Review originally written as an entry for the Aurum Film Encyclopedia: War (series editor: Phil Hardy). Sadly, the book was never published. Vynález Zkázy aka Invention For Destruction, The Invention Of Destruction, The Deadly Invention, The […]
Director – Karel Zeman – 1955 – Czechoslovakia – Cert. PG – 86m ***** Blu-ray/DVD available from Second Run. I’ve written about the pioneering Czech director Karel Zeman in these pages before regarding his 1961 film The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (BD/DVD, cert U, 85 mins). The latest of his works to see a release in […]
There’s nothing else quite like the filmography of stop-frame animator and special effects maestro Ray Harryhausen (1920-2013). A new book, Harryhausen The Lost Movies, is an undeniable treasure trove for those familiar with his films, which include such gems as Jason and the Argonauts and One Million Years B.C. and incorporate fantastical, stop-frame animated creatures and […]
Director – Bruno Collet – 2019 – France – 12m ***** The techniques used in this remarkable short include both computer and puppet animation, with all the surfaces of both the puppets and the sets resembling that of a canvas painted with oils. It’s the perfect artistic form in which to express the story the […]