Roman Polanski's Repulsion (1965) at the Manchester Cornerhouse

We featured it on here some years back, but if you want to see Roman Polanski's Repulsion in all its glory, you can later this month at Manchester's Cornerhouse.

A Taste of Honey screening and Q&A at the Cornerhouse in Manchester

Yesterday, we were incredibly sad to hear of the death of Shelagh Delaney, who died of cancer, aged 71. She was and is a northern icon, star and inspiration for The Smiths and noted playwright, writing the classic A Taste of Honey when she was just 19. If you've never seen it, there's a special screening of the movie at Manchester's Cornerhouse on Wednesday 30th November.

Newly-restored Kes (1969) is back on the big screen

Some classic Ken Loach is heading back to the big screen - Kes - which originally dates back to 1969.

Over 40 years on and the movie has had a complete restoration, hitting the cinemas as part of the BFI celebration for the director's 75 birthday. More on that here.

So far, screenings have been confirmed as:
London BFI Southbank: Fri 9 - Fri 23 Sep 2011
Dublin Irish Film Institute: Fri 9 - Thu 15 Sep 2011
HMV Curzon Wimbledon: Sat 10 - Sun 11 Sep 2011

More are likely to be added. Check this site for additional screenings. If you've never had the pleasure of this tale of a boy, a bird and Barnsley, see the trailer over the page.

DVD Review: Black Joy (1977)

I'd ever heard of Black Joy before the advance notice came through from Odeon, but I'm certainly glad I made the effort to secure a copy.

It's an obscure movie, but with some familiar faces - Norman Beaton and Floella Benjamin for example - featuring in this play-turned-film that endeavours to show the gritty streets of mid-70s Brixton through the eyes of someone alien to it, Guyanan immigrant Ben, played by Trevor Thomas.

BFI and Flipside release Lunch Hour (1962) on dual-format disc

We're always happy to see some new discs incoming from the BFI offshoot Flipside, with Lunch Hour being the first of the new releases for April.

Based on a John Mortimer play, Lunch Hour, from 1962, stars Shirley Anne Field (Saturday Night and Sunday Morning) as a young designer on the brink of an affair with a married male executive (Robert Stephens) at the company where she works. This story of an illicit lunch-hour rendezvous is shot in 'real-time' and is described as a 'stylish and highly-charged story of subterfuge, simmering tensions and sexual conflict'.