REVIEWS HOME FILM
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Don’t Look Now
Seeing red
Release 29 July
Director Nicolas Roeg
Cast Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland,
Hilary Mason, Celia Matania
Distributor Studiocanal
Certifi cate 18
Format
Fresh from its theatrical re-release,
this beautiful 4K restoration of Don’t
Look Now is available on Blu-ray. For
those wondering if it’s worth shelling
out to replace the old Blu: the new restoration
(overseen by cinematographer Anthony
Richmond) is absolutely beautiful and, crucially,
it’s not overdone. None of the feel of the fi lm has
been lost, it’s every bit as chilly, foreboding and
powerful as it ever was.
In terms of extras, there’s a lovely new 40-odd
minute documentary about the fi lm and Roeg’s
career with input from fi lmmakers including
Danny Boyle, David Cronenberg, Andrew Haigh
and Brad Bird, as well as critic Peter Bradshaw.
There’s also a new featurette on the use of
colour in the fi lm, as well as previously available
bonuses including cast and crew interviews, an
older featurette and a commentary from Roeg
himself. There’s a delightful contrast between
the voices of the expert fans, who all seem
baffl ed by Roeg’s brilliance, and those of the
artists who worked on the fi lm, who are all clear
on the fact that everything was planned and
meticulously thought out.
Hellboy
Irritatingly immature
Release 19 Au g us t
Director Neil Marshall
Cast David Harbour, Milla Jovovich,
Ian McShane, Sasha Lane, Daniel Dae Kim
Distributor Lionsgate
Certifi cate 15
Format t
In the run-up to Hellboy’s release,
director Neil Marshall insisted his
version would be much scarier and
gorier than Guillermo del Toro’s
earlier outings Hellboy’s story.
Its R-rating solidifi ed such expectations but
while the reboot does boast bucket-loads of
blood, it’s a lot sillier than initially promised,
highlighting how devoid it is of the oddball
charm and heart that made the Mexican
Donald Sutherland
wore a perm wig in
Don’t Look Now because
he’d seen many architects
with that hairstyle.And then there’s the fi lm itself. One of the
most wonderful things about Don’t Look Now is
that it only gets better as you get older. It’s a fi lm
that you’re told to watch as a young fi lm fanatic,
and while you may be impressed with its
technical artistry and shocked by the twist, the
gut punches that Roeg and his team deliver get
more powerful each time you come back to it.
The unbearable rawness of that opening
sequence as Donald Sutherland pulls his
daughter from the pond (and Julie Christie’s
earth-shattering shriek), the beautiful intimacy
of the much-discussed love scene, and the
stomach-turning rug-pull of the fi nal moments
as John Baxter realises his mistake... So much of
the discussion surrounding the fi lm is (rightly)
focused on the cinematography, the incredible
editing, the use of Venice as a location, but for
this reviewer the real strength of Don’t Look
Now is the emotional connection you have to
these characters and their journey of grief.
Jonathan Hatfull
fi lmmaker’s adaptations so beloved.
David Harbour brings wide-eyed chaotic
energy to Hellboy, which is interesting to
watch, if not always really welcome. Unlike
Doug Jones’ Abe Sapien and Selma Blair’s
Liz Sherman though, Sasha Lane’s Alice and
Daniel Dae Kim’s Daimio are defi ned by their
superhuman abilities, making the whole trio
lack any kind of chemistry and likeability.
Only Milla Jovovich truly brings it as the
Blood Queen, infusing her baddie with campy,
gothic glee.
There is some interesting stuff at play here
however; a nightmarish Baba Yaga, grisly-
looking spirit channelling and teases of
Hellboy’s link to Arthurian legend. It’s just that
obnoxious guitar riffs and a sweary Scouse
swine monster seem to take precedence. Now,
that’s scary.
Amy West
Hollow Man
1 and 2
You can’t see me
Release Out now
Director Paul Verhoeven, Claudio Faeh
Cast Kevin Bacon, Elisabeth Shue, Josh
Brolin, Christian Slater, Laura Regan
Distributor 88 Films
Certifi cate 18
FormatEven among his most die-
hard acolytes, Paul Verhoeven’s
Hollow Man has never been
revered beyond its then-state-
of-the-art effects, and those pondering the
wisdom of picking up this special edition
(which includes the 2006 DTV sequel) would
be wise to proceed with caution.
There’s some fun to be had in the fi rst fi lm,
largely courtesy of Kevin Bacon embracing
the hammy possibilities, but it doesn’t feel
like Verhoeven is doing anything with his
premise beyond trying out some new toys.
That unpleasant sleaziness is still an issue,
too, and as a string of unlikeable scientists
are murdered in a basement facility, you can’t
shake the feeling that this should be more fun.
The unconnected sequel, in which Peter
Facinelli and Laura Regan run from invisible
soldier Christian Slater, isn’t a disaster but it’s
not particularly interesting either. However,
fans are in for a ton of extras (including an
interview with Kim Newman), as well as both
cuts of the fi rst fi lm.
Jonathan Hatfull