Films like Heaven and Hell.

Heaven and Hell (1980) reads as Sombre, breathless, extreme kung-fu / shaw-brothers, inventive in texture. Ambivalent, mid-stakes, cold. Every film below is ranked by distance across the same twelve hand-scored axes — with what it keeps, and where it walks away. Not a genre dump.

Black Magic (1975) poster
1. Black Magic1975

Keeps the cold, bleak undertow and the bone-dry seriousness — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

Bat Without Wings (1980) poster
2. Bat Without Wings1980

Keeps the cold, bleak undertow and the bone-dry seriousness — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

The Web of Death (1976) poster
3. The Web of Death1976

Keeps the cold, bleak undertow and the bone-dry seriousness — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

Vampire Hunter D (1985) poster
4. Vampire Hunter D1985

Keeps the cold, bleak undertow and the bone-dry seriousness — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

Demon City Shinjuku (1988) poster
5. Demon City Shinjuku1988

Keeps the bone-dry seriousness and the chilly detachment — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

Megazone 23 (1985) poster
6. Megazone 231985

Keeps the cold, bleak undertow and the bone-dry seriousness — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

Heroes Shed No Tears (1980) poster
7. Heroes Shed No Tears1980

Keeps the cold, bleak undertow and the bone-dry seriousness — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

Pursuit of Vengeance (1977) poster
8. Pursuit of Vengeance1977

Keeps the cold, bleak undertow and the bone-dry seriousness — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) poster
9. Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome1985

Keeps the bone-dry seriousness and the chilly detachment; trades toward a cold, bleak undertow.

The Flying Guillotine 2 (1978) poster
10. The Flying Guillotine 21978

Keeps the cold, bleak undertow and the bone-dry seriousness — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

Full Moon Scimitar (1979) poster
11. Full Moon Scimitar1979

Keeps the bone-dry seriousness and the chilly detachment — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

Duel to the Death (1983) poster
12. Duel to the Death1983

Keeps the bone-dry seriousness and the chilly detachment; trades toward a relentless forward drive.

These are Heaven and Hell’s neighbours — where are yours?

Rate five posters and the same twelve axes read you — then tonight’s pick comes from your own centre of taste.

Find my film for tonight — 60 sec →