First must-buy Blu-ray release: The Bird With The Crystal Plumage (1970)

Last week, I considered writing a list of 10 must-buy Blu-ray releases for Cinedelica, but couldn't actually find 10. In fact, I couldn't find one. But that's not the case now, with the impending launch of The Bird With The Crystal Plumage on Blu-ray.

Not much I can add to our previous review of the DVD, except to say that Dario Argento's stylish debut gialli/giallo should look stunning in high-definition. It's released (initially) in the US by Blue Underground, promising full 1080p HD resolution, top-notch sound and a disc that's 'loaded with extras'.

No news on a price or shelf date as yet.

Blue Underground website

DVD Review: Robbery (1967)

Being a fan of the British crime flick, I'm pleased to see Robbery finally get a DVD release - a semi-forgotten movie based (very loosely) on the 1963 Great Train Robbery.

A 1967 film, with direction from Peter Yates (who also did Bullitt), the movie is a mix of old and new school, made just before British cinema got truly gritty. Essentially, it's a tale of two men - Paul Clifton (Stanley Baker) on the crime side and Inspector George Langdon (James Booth) as the Sweeney's man on his trail - ironic really, as Booth is probably best known as villain Vic Labbett from the Sweeney TV series.

It all gets off at a cracking pace as Clifton's gang pull off a robbery to raise finds for the 'big job', before being pursued throughout London in one of the best big screen car chases you'll see for a long time. Despite one man getting caught, the job is successful - freeing up funds to pull together the right team for the big train robbery, which also means springing a key part of that gang (Robinson, played by Frank Finlay) from jail.

The Small World Of Sammy Lee and 60s Soho at London's BFI

Another great night planned by The Flipside at London's BFI on Thursday 24th April 2008, celebrating the seedy world of 60s Soho.

That means a screening of The Small World Of Sammy Lee (1962), with Strip club compere and small time wideboy Sammy (played by cockney crooner Anthony Newley) losing his shirt at an all-night card game, with the heavies are looking to collect. That means a race against the clock around the streets of Soho as Sammy tries to raise the readies, and escape with the girl who loves him, before his luck runs out.

Also showing is Strip (1966), a short movie looking at vintage burlesque dancers at the notorious Phoenix Club, Old Compton Street, with the girls backstage talking about life whilst having a cup of tea and warming-up the baked beans. And to top things off, Big Shots features rare footage of wartime Soho shot by Sammy Lee director, Ken Hughes.

Introduced by Flipside's Vic Pratt and Will Fowler, with 'Sammy Lee' actress Julia Foster doing a Q&A after the screening. Tickets cost £8.60 (£6.25 concessions).

Find out more at the BFI website

Cult Clip: Danger Diabolik (1968)

While we're on a brightly-coloured 60s movies tip, how about checking out the trailer for Mario Bava's comic book crime caper - Danger Diabolik.

Nothing more to say except...you really should see it.

DVD Review: Rocco and His Brothers (1960)

A landmark in world cinema, Rocco and His Brothers marries the neo-realism of Luchino Visconti's early films with the grand, operatic vision of his later masterpieces.  The story centres around the Parondi family who leave their home in rural, southern Italy for the bright lights of Milan.  Brothers Rocco (Alain Delon), Simone (Renato Salvatori), Ciro (Max Cartier) and Luca (Rocco Vidolazzi) arrive amidst eldest sibling Vincenzo's (Spiros Focas) engagement to kindly Ginetta (Claudia Cardinale), whereupon their fiery Mama (Katina Paxinou) - suspicious of all beautiful women - squabbles with their future in-laws and gets everyone turfed out on the street. 

As the family struggle to survive in the harsh city, Rocco moves from dry-cleaning to military service and finally boxing, giving every penny of his hard-earned cash to his demanding mother ("If you have anything left - send it.  You can't spend it anyway").  Meanwhile, feckless dilettante Simone sinks lower and lower.  Things come to a head when both brothers fall for sultry prostitute Nadia (Annie Girardot) and the family unravels amidst robbery, rape and murder. 

Alain Delon excels in the role that - alongside Rene Clement's Plein Soleil (1960) - made him a superstar, but Renato Salvatori and Annie Girardot (married in real life!) deliver performances of equally remarkable depth and realism.  Visconti may have been an aristocrat, but he was also a Marxist and this film reflects his preoccupation with the injustices endured by the poor.  He tackles prejudice (Immigrants mocked as coming "from the land of layabouts") and satirises Milan's welfare programme (the Parondis are advised: "rent a house, avoid paying, get evicted and then city hall will look after you.")

DVD Review: Yield To The Night (1956)

Diana Dors - it you remember her at all, it's probably from 70s panel shows or the occasional guest slot in minor movies or TV sitcoms. But back in the 1950s, she was the British equivalent of Marilyn Monroe and a decent actress too, as Yield To The Night will testify.

Yield To The Night should be a better-known movie, but just as capital punishment has faded out of our memories, so has this argument against the evils of it. In one of the finest Brit movie openings ever, Diana Dors' character Mary Hilton strides purposely towards a well-heeled woman coming out of an expensive car, before firing several shots into her. Fast forward to Hilton locked up in a cell, awaiting the inevitable death penalty. What drove her to murder? A series of flashbacks cut into the prison scenes tell the tale.

DVD Review: Payroll (1961)

It's rare to find a vintage British crime flick set outside of London, but Payroll is in that minority, using the streets of early 60s Newcastle as the backdrop to a vicious robbery - and the fallout that follows it.

Michael Craig stars as Johnny Mellors, leading a gang (which also features a young Tom Bell as Blackie), planning an assault on a wages run, acting on information from one of the firm's employees (Dennis Pearson, played by William Lucas). But there's a problem - the old system is about to be changed, no longer a car run from the bank, the firm has brought in an armoured vehicle, complete with police radio and emergency siren. The complete anti-theft machine it seems.

DVD Review: The Frightened City (1961)

You would be forgiven for thinking that the gritty British crime thriller started at Get Carter and ended with Guy Ritchie, but the crime flick has been around as long as the moving picture in the UK - with The Frightened City typical of the early 60s output.

Available now for the first time on DVD (as part of Optimum's British Thrillers series), The Frightened City is British noir, set in London's gangland and starring Sean Connery as a petty criminal caught between two warring factions. Connery isn't the main character here though - that's Herbert Lom as money man Waldo Zhernikov. He has a plan - to bring together all the London crime gangs into a large syndicate, making it easier to extract protect money from the club and restaurant owners.

Coming soon: The Bank Job (2008)

Not long into 2008 and we're already being greeted by another British gangster flick - although The Bank Job has more to do with 1971 than the modern era.

It's actually based around true events, specifically an unsolved robbery 37 years ago, when thieves broke into a London bank vault, looting boxes worth millions. No-one was caught for it and the government issued a press gag on it. The movie second guesses what was hidden in those boxes, throwing in a tale of murder, corruption and a sex scandal with links to the Royal Family, not to mention lots of early 70s style.

DVD Review: Election 2 (2006)

Johnnie To’s sequel to Election (2005) swaps high-octane action for Machiavellian power plays and character exploration, though in the final analysis it’s every bit as violent as its predecessor. Like much recent output from the HK crime school, the film treads thematic water. Excellent performances and To’s ever-impeccable production values make it watchable, but workmanlike dialogue and too many blatant rips from the American gangster canon prevent it from being anything more.

Two years after Lok (Simon Yam Tat-Wah) wins the captaincy of the fearsome Wo Sing triad, the time arrives for him to cede power to a new ‘Godfather’. But the incumbent is reluctant to leave, even though the triad’s legislature doesn’t allow consecutive terms.

Other candidates are mooted. The favourite, Jimmy (Louis Koo Tin-Lok), is initially as loath to step up as Lok is to leave. He runs a highly successful pirate VCD empire, and only joined the triad for its business connections. He has no interest in its internal politics or its ideological pretentions to alternative government.

It becomes increasingly obvious however that his business interests hinge upon his becoming Godfather. More than that: Lok’s appetite for an extended term becomes homicidally ravenous, and as the other candidates are serially dispatched, Jimmy realises that he must get elected to stay alive.

DVD Review: Fear Is The Key (1972)

If you've encountered Fear Is The Key in the past, it's likely to be in the soundtrack section of your local record store - the excellent Roy Budd soundtrack got a reissue on the back of Get Carter's popularity. The film itself is rarely seen, despite having a really impressive pedigree.

Based on an early 60s novel by Alistair MacLean, it boasts an above average cast, headed up by Barry Newman, fresh from his role as Kowalski in the superb Vanishing Point, along with Cinedelica favourite Suzy Kendall, Ray McAnally (of Spindoe fame) and Ben Kingsley before the hair receded. So, based on a respected novel, top-notch soundtrack and solid cast, we can't fail can we? Well, yes we can.

DVD Review: Exiled (2006)

Though its style and production values can’t be faulted, Johnnie To’s latest film rarely strays outside standard HK action orthodoxy. Conflicting loyalties, betrayal and revenge are great themes, which is maybe why they’ve been addressed many times before in Asian crime cinema. It is in the occasional flashes of leftfield playfulness, scattered among long passages of well-heeled cliché, that Exiled makes its mark.

Set in Macau in 1998 (the year before the territory was returned to the PRC by Portugal), the film opens during a hit on former gangster Wo. The two hitmen, it transpires, are old friends of the man they’ve been ordered to kill by ruthless Boss Fay. After a curiously non-lethal gunfight, they make peace with Wo and his two defenders, the group effectively becoming a quintet of fugitives from Boss Fay’s organisation.

Now masterless, the five seek jobs with the help of an unscrupulous hotelier, but cannot elude Fay’s network for long. He and his agents finish the job on Wo, whose wife then seeks revenge on the remaining four, unaware that they were trying to protect her husband. Assailed on all sides, the ronins finagle a final showdown with Fay and his associates. It is as bloody, as graceful and as acrobatic as scholars of To’s filmography would expect.

DVD Review: All Coppers Are... (1972)

Almost everything released by Peter Rogers Productions has been a Carry On movie. But there were a few exceptions, including All Coppers Are... - a film about as far away from the bawdy British comedies as you can get.

Set in the shadows of Battersea Power Station in the early 70s, it's a tale of a good guy, a bad guy and the girl in the middle. And it's pretty grim, but at the same time very watchable.

The good guy is Martin Potter as Joe the 'copper', the bad guy is Barry (Nicky Henson) and the girl in the middle is the dough-eyed Julia Foster as Sue. All three meet at a wedding, none knowing the background of the other two. Joe has a brief fling with Sue, but when she finds out he's married with a young child, she drifts towards the flash Barry, getting involved in his latest get-rich scheme - which inevitably ends in tears.

DVD Review: Villain (1971)

While most of the cult British gangster flicks have been remade, reissued and generally run into the ground, one prime example has been left gathering dust in the archives - Villain. Strange, because, despite a couple of obvious flaws, this is up there with any of them.

Based on James Barlow's classic Burden Of Proof novel, Villain stars Richard Burton as London crime boss Vic Dakin, with obvious parallels to certain other real life hard men of the day - vicious by day, home to the mother he idolises at night and in a violent, same-sex relationship with Wolfie Lissner - an early role for the hip-looking Ian McShane as a small-time pimp and drug pusher (and driver of a rather cool Mk I Capri).

If you're in any doubt about Vic's methods, the opening scene with Benny the croupier and a cut throat razor should put you in the picture. And that's Dakin's game - violence, intimidation, protection rackets and casinos, with large chunks of the capital under his 'protection' - and the police seem powerless to stop him.

Villain finally comes to DVD...or does it?

Browsing the release schedules of Amazon for September brought an interesting find - classic British crime thriller Villain is finally making it to DVD. Or is it?

I've been digging around, trying to find more information - and no-one at the company down for releasing the movie on DVD seems to know anything about it. And as it's due for September 3rd, you would think someone would know something by now.

But I'm a born optimist, so maybe this release will sneak out with little fanfare or promotion. Shame really - it's one of the great British crime flicks of the 70s. Check out a clip below or get your copy ordered for a bargain £9.74.

Footnote: This has now been confirmed for release.

The Anderson Tapes (1971) gets a remake

1971's The Anderson Tapes as definitely a strange movie, but over 30 years on, it's actually quite a forward-thinking one.

The fear we all have of being under surveillance was at the heart of the movie, as Sean Connery (in one of his better roles) leads a team of villains on a mission to rob the residents of a high-class apartment block - not knowing that the gang's every movie is being watched by a variety of US agencies.

No surprise then that it's getting the remake treatment. Producer Arthur Sarkissian has bought the rights to Lawrence Sanders’ original novel, with plans to update the tale and set it in Miami.

It's likely to be terrible - so make sure you check out the original, which is available on DVD and widely shown in TV.

The Noose (1948)

As well as the predictable list of titles, the BBC's Summer of British Film has seen some real gems unearthed for TV screening - including The Noose from 1948.

It's nigh-on impossible to get a copy of this movie, so well done the Beeb for showing it. Directed by Edmond T. Greville (pictured here - who you may know from Beat Girl), it's a typically sensationalist flick about a Soho crime boss and club owner - Sugiani (played by Joseph Calleia) and the 'brains' behind his organisation, Bar Gorman, dressed in full spiv uniform and bizarrely, like an early Kenneth Williams in both voice and mannerisms.

When yet another 'victim' is found washed up in the River Thames, reporter Linda Medbury (Carole Landis) takes it upon herself to challenge Sugiani. And with the aid of her boyfriend Jumbo Hoyle (Derek Farr) and a gang of boxers, market porters and taxi drivers, they take on Sugiani - dressed, rather strangely, in Chelsea football shirts.

Gumshoe (1971)

The mid-life crisis comes early for Eddie Ginley in Gumshoe, a truly odd comedy/drama set in early 70s Liverpool.

Directed by Stephen Frears, Gumshoe stars Albery Finney as Eddie Ginley - unemployed, but making a living as a part-time comic and bingo caller at a local working men's club (run by a bloke called Tommy, played superbly by Bill Dean, later Brookside's Harry Cross). On his 31st birthday and after a meeting with his psychiatrist, he advertises himself in the paper as a private detective, taking on the alter ego of a Sam Spade/Philip Marlowe character.

Amazingly, a call comes in - and he's asked to go to a local hotel. On arrival, Eddie is given a gun, a large amount of money and a picture of a university lecturer. Which sets him on a path to discovering just why he's been chosen for the job. Obviously, it's a case of mistaken identity. And that means someone's going to be after him. Which means Eddie has to solve the case before he gets it in the neck.

DVD Review: Alain Delon Boxset (1960-1975)

You could count on the fingers of one hand the amount of male Hollywood leads that have had the attributes that make up the Holy Trinity of an acting career – namely longevity, talent and looks. Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Jack…most get two out of three, if they’re lucky. Even then, part of their back catalogue is taken up by roles so undercooked you’d need several gallons of Newman’s special vinaigrette to make them palatable.   

In France, it’s no different, but they tend to afford their elder statesmen (and women) with a great deal more respect. In an era where the BBC are sacking anyone over thirty from their news and current affairs just in case they lapse into senility live on camera, it’s refreshing to see the likes of Catherine Deneuve and Alain Delon still getting stacks of screen time. Okay, Delon’s had to ham it up as Julius Caesar in another live-action Astérix adventure, but the point remains.

The Alain Delon Boxset goes some way to help you find out why he’s still in demand. Acting legends become legends for specific reasons, not because they’re in the right place at the right time (unlike Nicholas Cage). Currently celebrating fifty years as a screen icon, Delon is chiefly known in Britain for his role as an album cover for The Smiths’ classic The Queen Is Dead.

Coming to DVD: Hammer Film Noir Collector's Set 2

Last summer VCI Entertainment released their impressive Hammer Film Noir Collector's Set 1, that brought together six crime thrillers from the early fifties made by “The Studio That Dripped Blood.” Next week VCI Entertainment is releasing the second volume of their ongoing series, Hammer Film Noir Collector's Set 2, which contains eight more Hammer films that are sure to please fans of classic noir.

The eight movies featured in the latest NTSC Region-1 DVD set include Terror Street (1953), Wings of Danger (1952), The Glass Tomb (1955), Paid to Kill (1954), The Black Glove (1954), The Deadly Game (1954), The Unholy Four (1954) and A Race For Life (1954). Four of the films were directed by the talented Terence Fisher who was responsible for many of Hammer's best horror movies. Fisher was a master of suspense and this exciting new DVD set offers audiences a rare look at some of his earliest filmmaking efforts.

Hammer Film Noir Collector's Set 2 is scheduled for release on June 26th and it contains some great extras such as Audio Commentaries, Original Theatrical Trailers, Artist Bios, Advertising Galleries and Photo Galleries. The retail price is $39.99, but you can currently pre-order it from Amazon for just $29.99.

For more information please see Amazon

DVD Review: The Third Secret (1964)

I'm not often surprised by a movie, but Charles Critchon's exceptional film The Third Secret (1964) really caught me off guard and impressed me with its compelling story and dramatic cinematography. In some ways it's a very old fashioned mystery and the film looks like it could have been made 10 or even 20 years earlier. Instead of being a distraction, I found the dated feel of the movie, as well as the somewhat stilted performances in it, perfectly suited to the film's style.

The Third Secret stars Irish actor Stephen Boyd and he gives an over-the-top tour de force performance as an American television commentator named Alex Stedman who's living and working in Britain. When Alex gets word that his psychiatrist has committed suicide he begins to unravel, but he puts his emotions on hold after the young daughter of the dead doctor begs him to help solve the mystery of her father's death. The girl doesn't believe that her father committed suicide and she's determined to find out who murdered him in order to honor his memory and claim her inheritance.

Together the two embark on a dark journey that will invade the private lives of the doctor's disturbed patients and finally unveil the terrible mystery of The Third Secret.

DVD Review: Vengeance Is Mine (1979)

Over the years Criterion has gained a reputation for releasing some of the greatest Japanese cinema on DVD to the delight of international film audiences. One of their most recent releases is the impressive true-crime drama Vengeance Is Mine (a.k.a. Fukushû suruwa wareniari, 1979) made by the talented director Shohei Imamura. Part crime story, part horror film and part family drama, Vengeance Is Mine is a complex film that deals with multiple issues in a thoughtful and extremely effective way.

Vengeance Is Mine is based on the real-life crimes of one deeply disturbed man named Iwao Enokizu (Ken Ogata). The film opens with the police capture of Iwao Enokizu, who is then led to an interrogation room and forced to confess his multiple offenses. From there the film backtracks to reveal the bleak and troubling story of Enokizu’s life and crimes.

The character of Iwao Enokizu is brilliantly brought to life by the skilled Japanese actor Ken Ogata. He gives Enokizu plenty of charm so it's easy for audiences to see his appeal as he smartly seduces his victims. He seems perpetually unsettled and off balance, which makes it impossible for viewers to know what kind of horrible crime he will commit next.

Magnum Force movie canvas print

Film poster art can have real impact on your walls – and that’s certainly the case with this Magnum Force canvas print.

Clint Eastwood’s second outing as “Dirty” Harry Callaghan is really brought to life here – with an almost 3D effect of the man and his gun. This isn’t your average print, it’s a print on canvas – and ready to hang on your wall.

Sized at 70cm x 70cm and with a canvas depth of 45mm, it retails online or instore at Habitat for £75.

Find out more at the Habitat website

Via Retro To Go

Tokyo Drifter (1966)

Japanese cinema has certainly offered the world more than its fair share of beautiful, beguiling yet bonkers movies and Tokyo Drifter ranks amongst the very best. Tetsu, hitman in a baby blue suit is trying to escape from his old life of crime but comes a cropper when old Yakuza enemies move in on his boss.

The plot does get somewhat confusing- aided and abetted by crazy/deft editing but the mantra the viewer inevitably adopts is WHO CARES! as one is confronted with set pieces that are ever so sharp, colourful and visually arresting. A discotheque, a saloon, a bar, a snowy railtrack, all framed perfectly, all geometric lines drenched in one or two bright colours looking like some pop art exposition peopled by flint eyed hipsters with guns pointed and singing killers performing balletic shootouts. Symbolic use of space and colour is wonderfully illustrated in the final scene….wait and you’ll see what I mean.

The Long Good Friday set for Hollywood remake

Hollywood is out of ideas once more - and is heading over to the UK (again) for a spot of inspiration. This time they're lining up a remake of The Long Good Friday. As Bob Hoskins might say: "It's a diabolical liberty!"

Let's be honest, it's a film that's pretty much defined by Bob Hoskins and its London setting. But amazingly, the remake is due to be set in Miami and most likely, without Bob Hoskins. What that leaves us with, apart from the title and a basic plotline, isn't clear - probably a nightmare on the big screen on a par with The Wicker Man, Get Carter and The Italian Job updates.

The movie goes into production in 2008, directed by Paul W S Anderson, who promises "an updated setting and contemporary overtones". I think I'll be sticking to the original - and if you've not seen that, I suggest you check out the trailer below and go buy it with the money saved from next year's cinema trip.

Attori A Mano Armata Soundtrack Collection

Cinedelic has recently released an amazing collection of music from Italian crime films called Attori A Mano Armata: The main actors of the most Violent season of the Italian Cinema. This terrific soundtrack compilation includes over 20 tracks from different films by some of Italy's greatest composers such as Ennio Morricone, Luis Bacalov, Stelvio Cipriani, Alessandro Alessandroni, Riz Ortolani and Piero Piccioni.

This fantastic CD also comes with a colorful 64 page book that includes over 200 photos, film posters and profiles of many of the actors who were featured in Italian crime films or 'Poliziotteschi' including Tomas Milian, Franco Nero, Fabio Testi, Ray Lovelock, Mario Merola, Antonio Sabato, Henry Silva and more.

If you enjoy seventies era Italian soundtracks you won't want to miss Attori A Mano Armata: The main actors of the most Violent season of the Italian Cinema. This funk-filled collection is sure to please many fans of Italian cult cinema.

The CD is available from Movie Grooves for (€21.30/$23.84) which is located in the U.K., but they'll ship to anywhere in the world. You can also hear sound samples at their site.

Cult Clip: Villain (1971)

We have raved about Villain in the past - one of my top five movies still awaiting a DVD release and a seriously-underrated Brit crime flick.

If you want some more convincing of Richard Burton's take on the London gangster, check out the clip below...

The 8th Annual Festival of Film Noir

From April 12th - May 2 the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood California will be presenting the 8th Annual Festival of Film Noir in association with the American Cinematheque and the Film Noir Foundation.

The theme of this years festival is Noir City: Los Angeles vs. New York, and in an impressive series of films that capture each city in its mid-20th century prime, audiences will be able to decide which one deserves the coveted Noir crown.

This three week long festival will include classic favorites as well as obscure films, and the movies will be presented in a double bill that offers one film set in Los Angeles and the other in New York.

Some of the movies featured at the festival include Odds Against Tomorrow (1959), The Killing (1956), Force of Evil (1948), Sweet Smell of Success (1957), Pickup on South Street (1953), The Breaking Point (1950), The Big Knife (1955), Port of New York (1949), City of Fear (1959), The Crooked Web (1955) and Shockproof (1949).

Villain (1971)

This afternoon I blew the dust off my Villain video because, yes, it's still not available on DVD, despite it being one of Britain's finest gangster flicks and starring one of Britain's all-time greatest actors.

Villain is based on the excellent mid-60s crime flick Burden of Proof by James Barlow and adapted for the big screen by top Brit screenwriters Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. It's not got the detail of the book, but it maintains its mid-60s style, with Richard Burton starring as Vic Dakin - not a million miles away from the Krays in style, loving his mum, loving violence and loving Wolf, a streetwise chancer played by Ian McShane.

Cult Clip: Jewel Thief (1967)

This great musical number is from the Bollywood classic Jewel Thief (1967) and features the lovely Helen (vocals by Asha Bhosle) performing one of her show stopping songs from the movie.

The Jewel Thief was directed by Vijay Anand and stars Dev Anand as Vinay. When Vinay is mistaken for a daring jewel thief who's terrorizing Bombay, his developing romance with the police commissioner's daughter Anju (Tanuja) is cut short. Vinay must help find the real jewel thief and prove his innocence to win back Anju, but it's not an easy task.

This great Bollywood movie is beautifully shot by Vijay Anand and features lots of memorable musical numbers written by composer Rahul Dev Burman. The movie is available from Eros on a Region-0 (all region) NTSC DVD, but the DVD occasionally goes out of print and can be hard to find. You can currently find used copies of the DVD selling cheaply at Amazon.

- Kimberly Lindbergs

DVD Review: Perversion Story (1969)

Perversion Story (Una sull'altra, 1969) is a stylish erotic thriller directed by the Italian filmmaker Lucio Fulci, who’s best known for his gory horror films such as Zombie 2 and The Beyond.

The film stars the handsome French actor Jean Sorel as Dr. George Dumurrier. George manages a financially troubled medical clinic along with his brother Henry (Alberto De Mendoza) and spends his free time wining & dining his mistress, a beautiful fashion photographer named Jane (Elsa Martinelli).

In the meantime, the good doctor’s wife Susan (Marisa Mell) is left home alone while suffering from a long illness. Susan’s health problems and George’s philandering have deeply effected their marriage, so when Susan suddenly dies due to complications from her illness, investigators begin to question George who stands to gain a huge fortune following her death.

The story takes an unexpected turn when George and his mistress Jane become obsessed with a beautiful exotic dancer named Monica (also played by Marisa Mell) who looks remarkably like George's deceased wife. Who is this mysterious woman and why does she begin to dominate George & Jane’s sexual fantasies?

Cult Clip: The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

March 24th would have been Steve McQueen's 77th birthday and I thought I'd share a clip of the trailer from one of my favorite Steve McQueen films, the original Thomas Crown Affair (1968).

This terrific crime film features Steve McQueen as the handsome thrill-seeking millionaire Thomas Crown, who gets his kicks pulling off complex heists. He finally meets his match when a beautiful insurance investigator named Vicki Anderson (played by Faye Dunaway) walks into his life and attempts to retrieve some money he's recently stolen. Things soon get complicated when Thomas (McQueen) & Vicki (Dunaway) find themselves falling for each other.

The Thomas Crown Affair is one of the classic crime films of the sixties and it features a very groovy score by Michel Legrand, as well as plenty of eye-catching period fashions. The DVD is available from Amazon..

- Kimberly Lindbergs

DVD Review: The XYY Man - The Complete Series (1976)

A bit of compare and contrast with this - after watching the latest episode of Life On Mars, I stuck an authentic 70s drama in the player - The XYY Man - and to be honest, I think I prefer the modern-day remake. It's not that there's anything wrong with The XYY Man, it just lacks that extra something to keep your attention.

But it starts off really well - perhaps because it was only intended as a one-off three-part drama, returning for the series a year later. The XYY Man is Spider Scott (Stephen Yardley), a burglar with an extra "Y" chromosome - which makes him predisposed towards crime. So when he's tapped up fresh out of prison by British intelligence to do a big job for a big price, he goes for it - which leads to a chain of events that threaten his life - and indeed other people's lives.

It's one of those 70s plots that involves various secret agents from several different countries - South Africa, Rhodesia (it still existed) and China in particular. And it's a strong plot as Spider is pursued by the strongest character in the show - Detective Sergeant Bulman (Don Henderson) - later to star in Strangers and Bulman.

DVD Review: Big Breadwinner Hog (1969) / Spindoe (1968)

There's very few hidden gems from the 60s - most have been re-shown, reissued or remade. But one cult show has remained in the archive - Big Breadwinner Hog.

This late 60s crime series from the pen of Robin Chapman was certainly controversial - violence in the early episodes saw it banned or thrown to late-night schedules, certainly never repeated. But here it is now on DVD over 30 years later, allowing us to judge it without the moral outrage.

And it does hold up. Big Breadwinner Hog is actually a man called Hogarth, played by Peter Egan. He's a hip young villain with a hip young crew, out to make some cash. But Hogarth doesn't want to be a small player, he wants to be a "Big Breadwinner", making his mark against the established firms with some serious violence and a seriously big job. The violence is particularly nasty and there's plenty of action - but then things change, with more plot and less sensationalism. Although that could be because Granada demanded things were toned down after one early episode showed a gangster attacked with acid in the face.

Roy Budd plays the Get Carter theme

If you've got the DVD of Get Carter (and let's be honest, it's an essential purchase