The Second Half of February

Wishing everyone a great week ahead 🙂

Valentine's Day 2020

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! 

Good morning

Good morning! Welcome to this beautiful new day that we have been given. I hope that your day and week are wonderful 🙂

Film Spotlight: Cloak and Dagger

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this film for review. All opinions are my own

Photo Courtesy of Eureka Entertainment

On chilly winter weekend afternoons, I’m often to be found either curled up with a good book or watching a classic movie. There’s nothing like enjoying an atmospheric thriller in the pages of a book or onscreen. Recently, I had the opportunity to watch a classic that I hadn’t seen before, the film noir classic Cloak and Dagger.

Photo Courtesy of Eureka Entertainment

This 1946 WWII espionage thriller, directed by Fritz Lang, stars Gary Cooper and Lilli Palmer. It is Lang’s follow-up to the noir classic Scarlet Street. Cloak and Dagger is a spy tale with a commanding Gary Cooper performance and a wealth of masterful suspense sequences. This is an aptly-titled film, as Cloak and Dagger is a consummate wartime espionage suspense picture, and an intriguing mixture of genres for Lang: part spy thriller -- part romantic melodrama.

Above: Lilli Palmer

Photo Courtesy of Eureka Entertainment

Nuclear physicist Alvah Jesper (Cooper) is recruited by the U.S. Office of Strategic Services to become a reluctant undercover agent, traveling to Switzerland to meet with a fellow scientist regarding information on Germany’s plans to construct an atomic bomb. After his colleague is assassinated, Jesper must sneak into Italy via the underground resistance, to contact another scientist. While there, Jesper falls in love with resistance fighter Gina (Lilli Palmer, in her first Hollywood role), and the two must battle shootouts, double crosses, and narrow escapes to smuggle the scientist out of Italy.

Above: Lilli Palmer and Gary Cooper

Photo Courtesy of Eureka Entertainment

I loved the atmospheric quality of this film. It was very easy to get into the film and travel to another time and place. This was an intriguing film that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The Masters of Cinema are proud to present Cloak and Dagger on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK in a Dual Format (Blu-ray & DVD) edition available from 27th January 2020.

Take a look at the CLOAK AND DAGGER (Masters of Cinema) New & Exclusive HDTrailer 

Title - CLOAK AND DAGGER (Masters of Cinema) Dual Format (Blu-ray & DVD) edition

Starring - GARY COOPER | LILLI PALMER | ROBERT ALDA

Certificate - PG

Run Time - 106 minutes

Picture - B&W

Genre - Thriller / Film-Noir

Year - 1946

Country - USA

Language - ENGLISH

Subtitles - ENGLISH (Optional)

SPECIAL FEATURES

- Presented in 1080p from a high-definition digital transfer

- Optional English subtitles

- Uncompressed LPCM mono audio

- Brand new audio commentary by film critic and writer Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

- Spycraft – A brand new video essay by David Cairns

- Cloak and Dagger: Lux Radio Theater [57 mins]– Radio adaptation from 1946

- Cloak and Dagger: The Radio Series [approx 660 mins]

- A collector’s booklet featuring a new essay by Samm Deighan

Available to order from:

Eureka Store

Amazon

Film Spotlight: The Miracle Worker

 Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this film for review. All opinions are my own

Photo courtesy of Eureka Entertainment

I love a great film and I especially enjoy those which are inspired by the lives of real people. It’s always fascinating to have a deeper look into someone else’s journey and if a film like this is done well, it can be filled with many revelations. It is also a great way to look at the universality of the human experience.  

One of the films which takes viewers deep into the experience of another person is The Miracle Worker. This superb 1962 Academy Award-winning film stars Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke, and tells the story of the life of Helen Keller. Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke are remarkable in their roles – they bring such an amazing level of authenticity to their roles which makes the film into an even more compelling experience for viewers. There is such a realness to their portrayals.

Above: Patty Duke - left, Anne Bancroft - right

Photo courtesy of Eureka Entertainment

Locked in a frightening, lonely world of silence and darkness since infancy, seven year old Helen Keller (played by Patty Duke) has never seen the sky, heard her mother’s voice or expressed her innermost feelings. Then Anne Sullivan (played by Anne Bancroft), a 20-year old teacher from Boston arrives. Having just recently regained her own sight, the no-nonsense Anne reaches out to Helen through the power of touch—the only tool they have in common—and leads her bold pupil on a miraculous journey from fear and isolation to happiness and light.

Photo courtesy of Eureka Entertainment

The Miracle Worker is stunningly powerful, uplifting and inspirational. It is a story of courage, hope and perseverance. Both Patty Duke and Anne Bancroft give incredible performances. Young Patty Duke, starring as Helen Keller, gives such a raw and multi-layered performance that is truly astounding. I love this film!

Photo courtesy of Eureka Entertainment

Eureka Entertainment will release The Miracle Worker, available for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK as part of the Eureka Classics range from 27th January 2020.

1962 | 106 minutes | USA | Biopic / Drama | B&W | Certificate PG |
Director ARTHUR PENN | Language ENGLISH |
Subtitles ENGLISH SDH (Optional) |
Blu-ray Cat. No. EKA70369 | Blu-ray Barcode 5060000703696 | Blu-ray

BLU-RAY EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES

* Presented in 1080p from a high-definition digital transfer

* Optional English subtitles (SDH)

* Uncompressed LPCM mono audio

* Brand new audio essay by Amy Simmons

* Theatrical trailer

* A collector’s booklet, featuring new essays by film critic and writer Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, and film critic and author Richard Combs

Available to order from:

Eureka Store

Amazon

First Workday of 2020

Today was back to work day for me...like it was for many others :) A couple of days ago, I started to have the "Why-can't-the-holidays-start-all-over-again-because-I-don't-want-to-go-back-to-work" feelings. The anxiety of going back to the 9-5 world was tapping me on the shoulder. However, going back today was actually not that bad. It was a gentler return because everyone hasn't come back to work in our office yet, since most people in the office are returning on January 6th. Therefore, it was beautifully quiet and lowkey. I LOVED IT! :)  

I hope that everyone who went back to work today had a good day :)

Happy New Year - 2020

 courtesy of Pixabay

HELLO 2020!

HELLO NEW DECADE!

image courtesy of Pixabay

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

image courtesy of Pixabay