I wrote about one of my favourite films for @sensesofcinema.bsky.social‬. ‘From Märchenland to Mexico: MACARIO’s International Fairy-Tale Journey’. www.sensesofcinema.com/2025/cteq/fr...

One of my dad’s short films made in 1967 is included on the BFI’s new Short Sharp Shocks blu-ray release! Thanks to @vicpratt.bsky.social for choosing and restoring the film 🎥

Britain's greatest comic actor? Probably, for a decade or so: theartsdesk.com/film/blu-ray... @studiocanal.com @vicpratt.bsky.social #petersellers #britishcinema #bfi

I wrote about weird and creepy title sequences in #RogerCorman movies for ‘Fantastic Fifties’ no. 25, which is out now from Hemlock Books and looks like a great issue. You can read more about the history and design of opening credits in my book ‘Film Title Sequences: A Critical Anthology’.

Recommended!

If anyone's interested in reading my article about the 'Boys' Cinema Weekly' but doesn't have the institutional library access to make it past the paywall then please feel free to DM me.

Recommended!

Had some bad brain fog this morning and then I filmed @vicpratt.bsky.social for an exciting new @arrowvideo.bsky.social release and now I feel way better… probably because he and Debbie gave me some new plants! 🪴

Was METROPOLIS (1927) the purveyor of the cinema’s first robot? No! This week’s viewing: the 1919 American serial, THE MASTER MYSTERY, starring Houdini being outperformed by ‘Q’, the evil automaton.

#ECLIPSE - #SimonPerry’s slippery 1977 psychological thriller starring #TomConti and #GayHamilton returns - @realjohncarvill.bsky.social is glad to see it back from the vaults after almost 50 years - now on #BFI #Flipside Blu-ray www.theartsdesk.com/film/blu-ray...

Did some writing. My latest article, ‘“The Delight of Real Boys”: Male Role Models in the Silent-Era “Boys’ Cinema Weekly” Fan Paper’, is out now in Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television. www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1... @iamhist.bsky.social

Updated the living room display bookcase... It now features the BFI Flipside collection! Just missing number 16 and number 51... Both will be with me later this week though! 🙏 An incredible collection of British cinema 🇬🇧❤️ #PhysicalMedia #Bluray #BFI @vicpratt.bsky.social @annodracula.bsky.social

I'm too old and square to be on TikTok but delighted to discover that singer-songwriter superstar CHARLI XCX has given Lindsey Vickers' THE APPOINTMENT- BFI Flipside 44 - a rave review and loves THE LAKE too! The kids are alright! Dig it! tiktok.com/@charlixcx/v...

Amazing what lurks in the bowels of Prime Video. Nice to see @desperate-living.bsky.social and @vicpratt.bsky.social popping up in this. @severinfilms.bsky.social watch.amazon.co.uk/detail?gti=a...

Birthday greetings to the legend that is Richard O'Sullivan

After the BFI Flipside Blu-ray launch screening of ECLIPSE, writer-director Simon Perry and key cast Tom Conti, Gay Hamilton and Gavin Wallace all joined me for a discussion. Edited highlights here... www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_KA...

Watched this last night, the latest BFI Flipside release. Salut @vicpratt.bsky.social as ever for digging this out - it's a dark and moody gem with a lovely synth soundtrack, beautiful location work and Tom Conti being unexpectedly chilling. www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fva...

I’m still pleasurably ruminating on ECLIPSE (1977), the latest BFI Flipside rediscovery, seen at BFI last night and followed by a very engaging cast and director Q&A hosted by @vicpratt.bsky.social. A strange, intriguing and unnerving Scottish chamber piece, restored and out on Blu-ray now.

Simon Perry's strange, splendid ECLIPSE (1977) - BFI Flipside Blu-ray 51: compelling performances by Tom Conti and Gay Hamilton! Sterling support from Gavin Wallace (age 9 1/2)! Eerie electronica! Rugged 'Coastal Gothic'! I've written about it here... www.bfi.org.uk/features/ecl...

#LastFourWatched A #Kurosawa kinda week. Shout-out to @vicpratt.bsky.social and the team at #BFI, for the amazing 4K UHD editions of Yojimbo & Sanjuro! Just stunning, like it was released yesterday. Definitely the best version of these films I’ve ever seen.

Watching Cooking Price-Wise, the Vincent Price cooking show. It is wonderful.

Vic Pratt pays homage to villainous mad geniuses, introducing the entertainingly silly 'The Crimson Circle' at BFI Southbank earlier tonight. @vicpratt.bsky.social

AvailableNow! The Films of Aleksandr Rou url:https://www.intellectbooks.com/the-films-of-aleksandr-rou

My latest book has arrived: ‘The Films of Aleksandr Rou: Father of Soviet Fairy-Tale Cinema’. Thanks to the hard work and patience of the wonderful team at Intellect Books, I think it’s looking lovely. #AleksandrRou

Just watched the last of the special features. Monster Much and Kitchenfinder General were brilliant. Jenny Hammerton so good. Overall, Cooking Price-Wise was the perfect dish for the Flipside. Thanks!

As our festive fairy-tale film season draws towards its close, we revisited THREE WISHES FOR CINDERELLA (1973). The new Blu-ray from @secondrun.bsky.social looks lovely.

This year, we launched our annual fairy-tale film home-viewing season with the German live-action, American-dub version of SNOW WHITE (dir. Erich Kobler, 1955). It was more psychotronic than anticipated – hypnotically odd and creepy. I’m not confident the seven bearded children were a good idea.

Next in our annual fairy-tale film season was the wonderful Soviet animation, ‘The Frog Princess’, directed by Mikhail Tsekhanovskii for Soiuzmultfilm in 1954. Absolutely stunning!

Settling down to watch ‘The Night before Christmas’ aka ‘Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka’ (dir. Aleksandr Rou, USSR, 1961) – a superb slice of festive viewing. Season’s Greetings to one and all! #fairytaletuesday

Truly magical: THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED (dir. Lotte Reiniger, Germany, 1926) – the earliest extant animated feature film – adapted from stories from The Arabian Nights.

#OTD Remembering Aleksandr Rou, 8 March 1906 – 28 December 1973, director of many wonderful Soviet fairy-tale films. Image from ‘The Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors (1963). Read my profile of Rou's career here: sensesofcinema.com/2023/great-d... @sensesofcinema.bsky.social

There’s a cracking season of film noir kicking off this week at Picturehouse Cinemas around the UK. @filmnoiruk.bsky.social @filmnoir.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=rge3...

New year, new book! I’m delighted to announce that ‘The Films of Aleksandr Rou: Father of Soviet Fairy-Tale Cinema’ has gone to print and is due out in February. www.intellectbooks.com/the-films-of-aleksandr-rou

12/30/59 Our Man in Havana D [BOTD] Carol Reed/W Graham Greene/DP Oswald Morris w/Alec Guinness, Maureen O'Hara, Ives, Kovacs, Coward, Richardson On location in the moment More @vicpratt.bsky.social: www.bfi.org.uk/features/tim... @trailersfromhell.bsky.social: trailersfromhell.com/our-man-in-h...

New on the Haunted Generation website... my @forteantimes.bsky.social review of the latest BFI Children's Film Foundation box set. In a nutshell, terrific fun. Thanks @vicpratt.bsky.social... hauntedgeneration.co.uk/2024/12/03/t...

When the Sesame Street gang took a beach holiday. ‘Creature from the Haunted Sea’ (1961).

I’m still digesting last week’s viewing highlight: SHADOWS OF FORGOTTEN ANCESTORS (seen at BFI Southbank), and was pleased to find director Sergei Parajanov's notes on the film @filmcomment.com.web.brid.gy: www.filmcomment.com/article/notes-on-shadows-of-our-forgotten-ancestors-sergei-parajanov/

I’ve been talked into writing another piece about film title sequences – a topic on which I’m easily persuaded! In the meantime, for those here who don’t know me yet, this collection of my previous writings is available in paperback and ebook (and is currently on special offer at Amazon UK).

An enjoyable first-time view in our Roger Corman mini-season: ‘Machine Gun Kelly’ (1958) – a riveting slice of fast-paced pulp, in which Charles Bronson shines bright in his first starring cinema role.

Against all budgetary odds, Roger Corman’s juvenile delinquency melodrama, ‘Teenage Doll’ (1957), manages to be far more than a denuded ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ knock-off. Yes, it has its faults, but in some ways I almost preferred it. I can see why it’s on a list of John Waters’ favourite movies.

Hurrah for Vincent Price, @vicpratt.bsky.social and the BFI. This is a terrific release - so much fun to watch! On a side note, I remain gratified, as ever, by the reassurance that THE WIZARD OF OZ is, in fact, a documentary.

Out on #BluRay an Irish rural tale which may lull you into thinking it's a piece of 19th century social realism, but beware, there are dark forces about. Read my review here: scenester1964.co.uk/the-outcasts

Roger Corman’s ‘Sorority Girl’ (1957) was another fascinating first-time watch this week. If you’ve run out of 1950s Douglas Sirk melodramas and fancy trying out a lower-budget version (with added spanking) then this could be the film for you. The film is not entirely what the artwork suggests.

Every other day seems to bring a new treasure from the postman, and I'm delighted to have my hands on the new 4K release of SEVEN SAMURAI. This is an amazing release from the BFI, and includes an essay from yours truly in the booklet, which make it even more precious for me.

Today's post is (chief's kiss)! Can't wait to tuck in...

Jenny's stately home is the ideal location for a luxurious Vincent price chow-down. Much cheese was consumed before / during / after the filming!

I'm so looking forward to trying out a few of these recipes!

I'm sure the marvellous Mr Price would be delighted to see this...us folks here at BFI Video certainly are...