DVD Review: Wind of Change (1961)

I've never heard of Wind of Change prior to this Odeon DVD release, which surprises me, as I'm pretty sure it must have been controversial at the time of release.

Set at the start of the 1960s, Wind of Change is essentially a tale of racism and although the scenery, the style and the language is very much of the era, the subject matter is still every bit as relevant today.

The 'action' revolves around a teen gang, a sort of ted, beatnik, mod hybrid if you like who hang around the coffee bars of Notting Hill, some working around Portobello Market, but the leader, Frank (Johnny Briggs, yes Mike Baldwin of Coronation Street fame) isn't currently employed. That's not his fault of course, according to Frank, the influx of immigrants into the area has taken away all the work. Indeed, according to Frank, they're even driving round in 'flash cars', hinting that it's not just in legal employ that the newly-arrived immigrant population are making their money.

Withnail and I go bowling at Bloomsbury Lanes, London

Not just a screening of a cult classic, Withnail and I go bowling throws in everything related to the film and indeed, a celebration of the year the film was set - 1969.

Taking place on Thursday 30th July from 9pm at The Bloomsbury Lanes, London WC1H, the event promises the finest wines know to humanity, a theatrical performance of best scenes from the film, a film screening, a competition for the best dressed character, a Withnail trivia competition, lighter fuel cocktails (yes, really), some tasty pheasants for your pot and DJ ‘Uncle Monty’ playing the best tunes from the film.

Bowling too we presume, although it's not specifically mentioned (except in the event name). Admission is £3, see the website to find out more. Incidentally, the Withnail and I movie comes out on Blu-ray soon - more on that later.

Bloomsbury Lanes website

BFI Flipside brings Man of Violence (aka Moon) (1970) to DVD and Blu-ray

A third and final release from the second batch of BFI Flipside titles due on August 24th 2009 - this time, from our old friend Pete Walker with Man of Violence (aka Moon) from 1970.

In a world of gangs and villains, one man - Moon - will stop at nothing to get the girl and take the spoils. Pete Walker's affectionate low-budget homage to the gangster thriller is packed with sights and sounds from a Britain about to swing out of the sixties and into a somewhat less optimistic decade.

BFI Flipside releases All The Right Noises (1969) on DVD and Blu-ray

A second release from the second batch of BFI Flipside titles due on August 24th 2009 - Gerry O'Hara's All the Right Noises from 1969.

Originally promoted with the provocative tagline ‘Is 15½ too young for a girl? Is one wife enough for one man?’, this time-capsule of a film tells the story of a young married man who has an affair with a teenage girl, and sits as part of a peculiarly 1960s British wave of films exploring this sensitive subject (others included Term of Trial, Age of Consent, and Three Into Two Won't Go).

BFI Flipside to release Herostratus (1967) on DVD and Blu-ray

Following the launch of the BFI’s Flipside DVD & Blu-ray strand in May (with The Bed Sitting Room, London in the Raw and Primitive London), the BFI has informed us of the next three titles in the cult movie series - Herostratus, All the Right Noises and Man of Violence, all of which are released on 24th August 2009. So first up, let's look at Herostratus.

When Max, a young poet (played by Michael Gothard - The Devils, La Vallée) hires a marketing company to turn his suicide into a mass-media spectacle, he finds that his subversive intentions are quickly diluted into a reactionary gesture, and his motivations are revealed as a desperate attempt to seek attention through celebrity.