Cinema of the '70s Magazine: Issue 5 (Colour) **The Oliver Reed Cover**

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!