TITLE - CLARET | AN UNOFFICAL HAMMER MAGAZINE
Saturday, April 30, 2022
CLARET | AN UNOFFICIAL HAMMER MAGAZINE #1 & #2
TITLE - CLARET | AN UNOFFICAL HAMMER MAGAZINE
CINEMA OF THE '70s | ISSUE 5 | TWO VARIANT COVERS
TITLE - CINEMA OF THE '70s | ISSUE 5
EDITED BY - DAWN & JONATHON DABELL
GENRE - BRITISH CINEMA/1970s
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN - UNITED KINGDOM
100 PAGES
TWO VARIANT COVERS WITH IDENTICAL CONTENT, FEATURING OLIVER REED AND VANESSA REDGRAVE IN "THE DEVILS", ARE AVAILABLE NOW FROM AMAZON, ALONG WITH THE PREVIOUS ISSUES.
Issue 5 of “Cinema of the “70s” is the first I’ve picked up and I’m very glad I took a punt. The magazine has a pleasing, DIY “zine” feel and is full of very intelligent and interesting articles, with highlights including an excellent piece on one of my favourite ‘70s films, the somewhat forgotten medical thriller “Coma” (in fact it was this article that prompted me to buy the mag), Ken Russell’s groundbreaking ‘70s output (including the brutal classic “The Devils”, the stars of which, Oliver Reed & Vanessa Redgrave, adorn this issue’s two full colour variant covers) and on the gritty and violent (even more so than the TV series) big-screen Sweeney films.
There are also several equally good articles on lesser-known ‘70s movies like “The Late Show”, “Punishment Park” and “Red Sun”. There is plenty of screenshots, publicity and original lobby cards even though it’s a small-scale publication. There is also some stunning original artwork depicting “The Devils”, caricatures and obituaries.
Definitely a labour of love, the magazine is perfect for film aficionados and fans of 1970s cinema. It’s not as glossy as a mainstream movie magazine, but it is honest, packed with content and very well put together; the writing team’s love of movies shines through to produce a varied, multi-genre celebration of a glorious and important decade in film. The quality of the writing means the magazine is more than the sum of its parts. Now I’m going to buy the rest of the issues!
BEDABBLED! #6
TITLE - BEDABBLED! #6
EDITED BY - MARTIN JONES
GENRE - BRITISH CINEMA/CULT FILMS
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN - UNITED KINGDOM
57 PAGES
AVAILABLE NOW FROM AMAZON
Bedabbled! is an independent movie ‘zine examining British horror and cult cinema; right up my alley. The magazine is slim, but never mind that, feel the quality.
Each issue has an overarching theme with issue #6, subtitled “The Room Inside Your Head”, being a study of “inner spaces”, both physical and mental. The first article is a deep-dive into the themes of decadence and duplicity in the films “Performance” and “The Servant” by Rik Rawling. The piece is thought-provoking and vivid, a dense and stimulating read in two parts that demands close attention.
Next up is a brief yet evocative piece on “The Innocents” by Martin Jones written in the style of the poetry of Emily Dickinson’s poetry - an analysis of the film through its images, as fragile and haunting as the movie itself. This article has made me look at one of my favourite films in a totally different way.
Sarah Morgan examines the 1967 curio “Our Mother’s House”, touching on general themes of children in films, usually either angels or little devils, and how the kids in this film are often both. Morgan provides a lot of interesting behind the scenes information and having seen the film a long time ago, this article has made me want to watch it again. Sarah Morgan also covers Hammer Films oddity “Demons of the Mind”. This is another excellent and well-researched article on a criminally underrated film.
“What Became of Jack and Jill?” is succinctly analysed by Adam Parker-Edmondston who makes a little-known movie sound like a must-watch; no mean feat. I’m back on familiar ground with Matthew Callingham’s fun piece on Amicus’ portmanteau classic “The House That Dripped Blood”. There are also a couple of supporting articles on “Twinky” and “Erotic Inferno”; not films I’m familiar with but it’s good that lesser-known films are being reappraised, and I am tempted to seek them out.
Overall, Bedabbled! is a very well-written and competently produced publication, with intelligent articles by writers who really know their subject. The issue’s evocative cover by Derek Gray sets the tone and features, I believe, a recreation of a scene from “The Innocents”, tying-in with the article, featuring a candle-bearing lady ascending a creepy staircase, who may even be Emily Dickinson herself. All the articles are thematically very closely linked which is a good thing, and the magazine is illustrated throughout with original stills, all monochrome, but of an acceptable quality and welcome in an unofficial publication. On the strength of this issue, I will keep buying Bedabbled! and I can happily recommend it to enthusiasts of British horror and cult films as one of the best ‘zines of its kind currently available.