David Cairns
@dcairns
Film maker, film critic, film teacher, film lover, fool for film
My first two films at Edinburgh Film Fest both featured John Hannah and dildos used as throwing weapons. Coincidence? Yeah, I'm going with coincidence. dcairns.wordpress.com/2026/08/14/h...
Wolf Mankiewitz's satire on the British film industry is pretty spicy. dcairns.wordpress.com/2026/08/08/w...
A Richard Matheson TV thriller that isn't Duel but IS rather good. dcairns.wordpress.com/2026/07/27/d...
If you only read one review of THE ODYSSEY, here is one review of THE ODYSSEY. dcairns.wordpress.com/2026/07/23/t...
My follow-up piece to Fiona's piece on BACKROOMS. dcairns.wordpress.com/2026/07/03/t...
We loved BACKROOMS and @monsterfromid66.bsky.social was moved to write about it: dcairns.wordpress.com/2026/07/02/w...
Daniel Kremer's jumbo video essay gives us all something to aim for. dcairns.wordpress.com/2026/07/01/z...
If industrial hellscaping is your thing, Anrzej Munk's THE STARS MUST BURN may be very much your also-thing. dcairns.wordpress.com/2026/06/04/f...
Progress report on our most complicated video essay to date: dcairns.wordpress.com/2026/05/21/w...
Kay Francis in MANDALAY is not just a clothes-horse -- in fact, she proves she can act with no clothes at all. dcairns.wordpress.com/2026/05/19/m...
Cinematographer Mario Bava goes all film noir: dcairns.wordpress.com/2026/05/12/f...
A short disquisition on tit-for-tat routines. dcairns.wordpress.com/2026/05/10/b...
You owe it to yourselves to see the most horrible, destructive and chaotic silent comedy ever: dcairns.wordpress.com
Given my love of Italian cinema and especially comedy, crazy it's taken me this long to see GUARDI I LADRI. dcairns.wordpress.com/2026/04/17/t...
Billy Bletcher, pursued by a giant lobster. dcairns.wordpress.com/2026/04/11/l...
David Melville Wingrove returns (eternally) with more Cinema de Papa: Cocteau! Delannoy! Marais! dcairns.wordpress.com/2026/04/08/p...
Victor Mature hangs up his socks to dry in TIMBUKTU. dcairns.wordpress.com/2026/03/15/a...
The saucy joys of Terry and the Pirates. dcairns.wordpress.com/2026/03/05/t...
The truly spectacular GEHEIMNISSE DES ORIENTS is hobbled by a single casting blunder, but still... wowsers are in order. dcairns.wordpress.com/2026/03/04/a...
GOOD LUCK HAVE FUN DON'T DIE (no commas on the poster or in the film's main title card) is excellent. The kind of fantasy cinema I'd like to be mainstream. dcairns.wordpress.com/2026/02/26/v...
The young Richard Barthelmess was quite the dreamboat. dcairns.wordpress.com/2026/02/22/t...