Guillermo Del Toro's blockbusting tale of a young girl struggling to make sense of the violent world around her was a big 2006 arthouse hit. Continuing his exploration of the impact of the Spanish Civil War on his generation (it was also the backdrop for his excellent ghost story, The Devil's Backbone) Del Toro's fantasy mixes strong horror with fairytale-style aesthetics to great effect, making Ofelia's escape into an imaginary realm a poignant response to the cruel realities of her existence.
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PREDATOR (1987)
Certification18 Our Rating
Arnie is the leader of a tough bunch of professional soldiers down in Central America sorting out a little problem for Uncle Sam. An unexpected hitch is the hunter, an alien sportsman who'd like Arnie's head for his trophy wall! A great action movie - Alien meets Rambo!!!
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RAN (1985)
Certification15 Our Rating
Ran, Kurosawa's last great epic, is a Jidaigeki (Japanese period drama) depicting the fall of Hidetora Ichimonj, an ageing Sengoku-era warlord who abdicates as ruler in favor of his three sons. His kingdom slowly disintegrates as the sons struggle for power, murdering rivals and laying waste to the land, and Hidetora goes insane after watching his retainers slaughtered in an epic massacre, the centrepiece of the film. As the kingdom crumbles and rival warlords move in for the kill, the Ichimonji
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RESCUE DAWN (2006)
Certification12 Our Rating
The incredible true story of Dieter Dengler, a German-born US pilot shot down over Laos at the beginning of the Vietnam war and held captive in a beastly POW camp, and his subsequent escape to 'freedom'.
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SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE (1972)
Certification18 Our Rating
The film version of Kurt Vonnegut Jr's famous anti-war sci-fi novel. Slipping back and forth along his own life line a suburban optometrist experiences the fire bombing of Dresden and captivity on the planet Trafalmardore. A powerful and seemingly unfilmable book that turned out to be a great movie.
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SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS (1999)
Certification15 Our Rating
Against a backdrop of snow and racism in the immediate post-war USA, a young ethnic Japanese is charged with murdering a fellow fisherman off the Pacific coast. By clever use of flashback a tale of love won and lost is revealed. Superb cinematography makes this enigmatic tragedy from the director of "Shine" truly memorable.
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THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS (1966)
Certification15 Our Rating
A highly acclaimed and influential account of Algeria's turbulent past made in psuedo-documentary style. The tense plot surrounds the rise of nationalist organisations in '54 and the French government's attempts to quell them. This film was the prototype for most political thrillers of the 1970s.
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THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK (2007)
CertificationE Our Rating
The Devil Came On Horseback exposes the tragedy taking place in Darfur using the exclusive photographs and first hand testimony of former US Marine Captain Brian Steidle. His is an emotionally charged journey into the heart of Sudan, where an Arab run government is systematically executing a plan to rid the province of its black African citizens. As an official military observer, Steidle had access to parts of the country that no journalist could penetrate. Ultimately frustrated by the inaction
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THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP (1943)
CertificationPG Our Rating
Based on David Low's cartoon character, Major General Clive Wynne-Candy, VC, we back-track over his life, drawing us into sympathy with the prime virtues of honour and chivalry which have transformed him from dashing young spark of the 1890s into crusty old buffer of World War II. Roger Livesey gives us not just a great performance, but a man's whole life, losing his only love (Deborah Kerr) to the German officer (Walbrook) with whom he fought a duel in pre-WWI Berlin, then becoming the latter's
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