★★★ Directed by #RyanSpindell Written by #RyanSpindell Starring #ClancyBrown #CaitlinCuster Film Review by Hope Madden “Have you any experience in the mortuary arts?” So begins a conversation between Raven’s End’s mysterious mortician and a young woman who’s come to answer the help wanted sign out front in writer/director Ryan Spindell’s fun and stylish horror anthology, The Mortuary Collection. Mortician Montgomery Dark (Clancy Brown) has tales to tell of the lives and deaths in Raven’s End. His new assistant Sam (Caitlin Custer) is an eager listener, but also tough to please. Such is the framing device for the anthology of short horrors, much like the one from Rusty Cundieff’s 1995 collection, Tales from the Hood (and just a bit like Jeff Burr’s 1987 anthology with Vincent Price, From a Whisper to a Scream). The framing device is so often the best part. Brown conjures a bit of Angus Scrimm (Phantasm’s Tall Man), channeling a little Tom Noonan as well, to create a spooky but somehow vulnerable master of ceremonies. Custer’s is an intriguing character, challenging her host, never squeamish or spooked. It makes for an interesting dynamic that turns more into a conversation on storytelling than you might expect. The tales themselves are all set in and around a town where newspaper headlines speak of beasts, asylums, and missing persons. Raven’s End and its stories possess an unidentifiably vintage quality, something fictional and fanciful, modern and yet of an indeterminate past. Characters sometimes pop up in multiple tales, each story boasting that patented twist ending you’d expect from a Tales from the Crypt episode. Some of the shorts are stronger than others (as Sam likes to point out to Mr. Dark), but the performances are all very solid, and Spindell peppers every story with fun bits of dialog. “They won’t let me near a scalpel, and for good reason.” There isn’t a weak short in the bunch, and though certainly some of the twists are not surprising, the execution is slick, the shorts are gorgeous and moody, and Clancy Brown is an absolute treat. #HopeMadden

4 Stars Directed by: Patrick Brice Written by: Patrick Brice, Mark Duplass Starring: Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass Film Review by: Rachel Pullen Creep (2014) Movie Review We are apparently living in the age of loneliness; people are more isolated than ever before, trapped in the so-called security of social media, we no longer seek out the comfort of actually engaging with other humans. So if, like me, you feel the despair of living in a world without much human interaction, how far would you go to engage in such an exchange? Would you drive to the middle of nowhere? Would you stay in a stranger’s house? Would you put yourself in what could be considered a risky situation in order to maintain social politeness? Director and co-writer Patrick Brice looks at just that, not in a sense loneliness, but more how much we can tolerate as humans when confronted with an overly social person, someone who does not shy away from making an obvious attempt to connect with another human being, what we can tolerate in regards to an awkward interaction. Creep tells the tale of a young man called Aaron (played by Patrick Brice) who as an amateur filmmaker answers an advert to help Joseph (Mark Duplass) shoot the last days of his life as a parting gift to his unborn son, but it’s not long before the star of his movie displays some rather overwhelming and uncomfortable levels of friendliness. Within an hour of the first meeting, Joseph is stripped nude and in the bath, directing Aaron to shoot a scene of him giving an imaginary bath to his son. He instantly creates a friendship between them in his head, filling Aaron with the idea of a connection being built between them, he acts as if they have known each other for years, that they have something special, I mean shooting someone in the bath within minutes of meeting them could be regarded as a connection I guess... As an audience of Creep, we begin to feel discomfort at how Aaron ignores the many red flags being presented to him, Joseph darts between a creepy level of friendliness, to losing his cool over the smallest things, but we can forgive him, for how many times have we tolerated an awkward situation in order to maintain a level of good manners? Aaron is trapped by his own politeness, creating a constant level of uncertainly that keeps the viewer on the edge of their seats. Although we are fully aware of where this is heading, Creep executes it in a manner which could not be foreshadowed by earlier events, Aaron acts on his instincts and leaves, Joseph continues the charade of being just a lonely guy, just someone with little knowledge of respectable boundaries, and for just a moment you could be led to believe that things may be okay between the pair. And that in itself is the brilliance of Creep as a film, the main horror within this piece is the power of suggestion, the idea of not knowing what is round the next bend is what causes the human brain the most anxiety, and as well as that, Aaron's actions are all too familiar, ones we have all made at some point in our lives in order to maintain a level of decorum and to not seem rude at another's gestures. Just because someone is a little odd does not mean they could hurt us, just because we see an axe in a garden does not mean it’s used for anything more than garden chores...but Creep tells us otherwise with a subtle style that is compelling to watch. With improvised dialogue, acted by the writers/director and shot on a minimal budget in a found footage style, creep has so much to offer without spending a lot, and that realism created on screen has an effect of believability, which is just what viewers want from a horror movie. For outside the normally masked slasher who never dies, or ghosts that go bump in the night, sometimes the best horrors to examine are those that are right on our door step...inviting us over to help make a B-movie for their unborn son. #RachelPullen

★★★★ Directed by: Usher Morgan Written by: Usher Morgan Starring: Joe Trombino, Joel Bernard, Elyse Price, Skye Stracke Film Review by: Jason Knight What do people go through when they are about to die? What goes through their minds? Does their entire life flash before their eyes? Do they see things that others do not? Usher Morgan's short comedy drama Dual Action explores this. Mercer (Trombino) is a criminal who has got himself into a rather nasty situation. He is being pursued by the police and is critically wounded by a gunshot. He hides inside a building and the police lose sight of him. As he sits there bleeding, armed with a pistol and not knowing what to do, out of nowhere two mysterious people appear. They are a man dressed entirely in white (Bernard) and a pale faced woman dressed entirely in black (Price), like she is attending a funeral. The two of them are Mercer's hallucinations and appear to want to make him reflect on his no-good life and understand his errors before he passes away. The script starts with reality and moves on to fantasy and right from the beginning the film gets the audience's attention. They are introduced to outlaw Mercer and will want to know more about him. And by the end of the story, they will find out about his life, a life-changing tragedy he was responsible for and how he views himself, creating effective character development. The dialogue is clever, humorous and dramatic and the characters are interesting and engaging. Protagonist Trombino delivers a dynamic performance. He shows signs of pain and agony as his character is suffering from a gunshot wound and is very convincing when he becomes confused, surprised, angry and regretful. Bernard and Price are very entertaining as two rather laidback 'imaginary' individuals, who do not appear to be taking the situation very seriously. Morgan has done an impressive job with the direction and lighting and uses superimposition and fast cutting editing techniques to great effect. And the use of Bruce Connole's Dead in the Water fits perfectly with the tone of the film and its subject matter. Generally Dual Action deserves a lot of praise and recognition. It is a film that offers an entertaining ride that is filled with good humour, suspense and drama. #JasonKnight

★★★★ Directed by: Charles Xiuzhi Dong Written by: Charles Xiuzhi Dong Starring: Yiyi Sun, Youfeng Zhang Film Review by: Jason Knight Sometimes people do unacceptable things in order to help the ones they love. Su Min (Sun) is a little girl in China, who dreams of going to school. She lives with her mother (Zhang), a single parent, in relative poverty. Her mother makes ends meet by picking up rubbish and working as a cleaner at a school. Su Min wants to go to that same school, but they are unable to afford the fees. Eventually her mother decides to steal money from the school in order to pay for her daughter to attend classes. A decision that ends up having devastating consequences. Charles Xiuzhi Dong's emotional drama won the Best Short Award at the Short Shorts Film Festival and Asia, in Japan. It is a hard-hitting look at the lives of underprivileged people. It explores themes of poverty, child isolation, love, family and how far one is willing to go to make things better for others. Sun and Zhang deliver convincing and touching performances as a child and her mother, who are living hard lives. It is clear that they care deeply for one another and want each other to be happy. The film does not condone the mother's illegal actions, for it is those actions that lead to the story's tragic ending. It makes it clear that people must stay on the right path, no matter what. That crime does not pay. It also makes a point that parents should be careful not to mislead their children. That they should choose wisely what they say to them, what they want to teach them. Dong has done a fantastic job. The direction is outstanding, with many wonderful shots, but the ones that stand out the most are the establishing shots. This is a project that had a great deal of creativity and effort put into it. After Class is a tragic tale that looks into the hardships of life. Its main message is that no matter how much one is struggling with their life, they must never go down the wrong path. #JasonKnight

★★★★ Directed by: #CalvinGreer Written by: #CalvinGreer, #NormanDGoldenII and #FelixCrumsby Starring: #NormanDGoldenII, #ParneshaIngram and #JeffWilliams Short film review by: Brian Penn Occasionally life permits us a glimpse of the future; more importantly it offers a stark choice between the paths that might be taken. Misperception is a brief but disturbing account of a young offender in rehabilitation. Quantrel (Norman D Golden II) is a moody charge for hard bitten street cops Thomas (Parnesha Ingram) and Sadowski (Jeff Williams). Labelled as a PD Cadet Quantrel resents the implication he might have crossed the line. Boys from the 'hood taunt him with barely concealed menace. But one night reveals the life and death that awaits if he doesn't change his ways. In the space of eight minutes, Quantrel moves from belligerence to submission as reality hits him squarely between the eyes. The narrative pulls no punches as a litany of crime stretches into a seemingly endless night. Thomas and Sadowski grow more sympathetic towards Quantrel as he feels consumed by violence and destruction. His only job was to accompany two cops on night patrol and carry the yellow tape that surrounds a crime scene, but he could so easily have been the victim. By the end of this film you sense its job done for the law enforcement authorities. Quantrel won’t go anywhere near a gang nor will he pick up a firearm in anger; or so we think? Annoyingly, we don’t get to find out. Misperception is screaming out for a sequel as we need to know what happened to Quantrel. You desperately hope he went straight and a young life was saved from an early grave. But it also portrays a brutal reality and grim realisation that we don’t always get the happy ending.

★★ Directed by: #RenuMehta Produced by: #RenuMehta Starring: #RenuMehta #JamesMirrlees Film review by: William Hemingway Benjamin Franklin famously said there are two certainties in this world: ‘death and taxes’, but he could have confidently added a third certainty to this list – Disparity. Since time immemorial there has been a divide between the rich and the poor, the have and the have-nots. From lords and serfs, to bishops and laymen, to warlords and soldiers, to leaders and the proletariat, there has always been a difference in means and power across nations and across social structure. Disparity does not simply have to mean a difference in wealth either; it can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes including health, education, access to resources, access to opportunities, freedom of movement, freedom of speech, enfranchisement, and so on and so on. In fact disparity is such a widespread and fundamental certainty that it sits amongst the most important issues facing the world today, alongside Covid and Race Relations and the Climate Crisis. In her film, Renu Mehta (along with economist James Mirrlees) aims to shine a light on this particular global issue and perhaps offer us a solution that although may not cure the problems so many face as a result of disparity, could at least go a long way to helping out. Mehta, who directs as well as produces this documentary, chunks the problem into ten separate sub-headings, which we are introduced to each in turn. We are treated to the scale of the problem, with the familiar statistics of the one-percenters and the world’s richest families owning half of the world’s wealth, before being shown the intricacies and machinations of state aid and all of its pitfalls. It becomes obvious very quickly that things are not as they should be and that government aid also means government kickbacks, and this is all before we even get to the corruption and criminality and the murky world of tax-avoidance. But all is not lost, and through the work of established NGO’s and private philanthropy, those outside of the system are shown to be making a difference by placing money where it is most needed and in a more effective manner. The difference it seems, comes down to policy and intent, and we find that if wealthy governments really wanted their money to go to helping out the poorest on the planet and for their systems of aid to really make a difference on the ground to lift people out of abject poverty, they could very easily legislate to do so. They just don’t. Instead they continue their cycle of self-service and greed and political games that only work to keep the powerful at the top and the weak at the bottom. We find that this can otherwise be known as International Diplomacy. Which all brings us to the point of the documentary; the promotion of the MM Aid Model, of which Mehta and Mirrlees are co-authors. It suggests that a matched funding from government aid budgets to private philanthropy, which is channelled through the aforementioned effective systems run by non-governmental organisations, could see an upscaling of the efficacy and size of world aid. With such a noble cause and such a forward thinking idea you might think that it would take no time at all for the world to adopt such a model or for this documentary to get the word out to so many new people to get on board. Unfortunately this hasn’t been the case, and a large part of the problem of spreading the word seems to lie squarely on the shoulders of Mehta and this documentary. All of the information in the entire film is given to us in expositional statements from experts. Granted, these experts are mostly world leading voices in their field, and the words of the likes of Professor Noam Chomsky and Professor Joseph Stiglitz are enough to make anyone sit up and take note. However, when the only way we can engage with the topic and the documentary is through vox pops and talking heads and maybe the odd screen-filling written statement that only appears for just enough time to read it through once at speed, then it becomes very difficult to emotionally hook into the point of the matter. If Asif Kapadia (Senna, Amy) has taught us anything about documentary film-making it’s that narrative is key. Here we get the feeling that we are in a never-ending lecture with multiple lecturers, who we only get introduced to once and then have to remember who they are and what they stand for as they appear and reappear to lecture us some more on a slightly different aspect. At best, this documentary comes off feeling like a (hyper)extended TED talk and at worst like a corporate promotional video, complete with celebrity cameos and plush backgrounds. Indeed, it can sometimes feel rather jarring to be talked at about abject poverty and the brutality of the world order and how it’s down to us, the ‘common people’ to do something about it, when we’re being told by well educated, well fed, expensively tailored people, sitting on well upholstered seats, in warm, comfortable, high-society surroundings, without any hint of irony whatsoever. Mehta and Mirrlees themselves bookend the documentary with a walk through the (privately owned) Scottish hills in their tweeds and a sunset seat on the beach sipping select malt whisky. This isn’t at all to say that their message and intent isn’t one of good and of empathy and of compassion, but there are ways of saying things and of putting that message across which are severely lacking in this documentary; and for all purposes, no matter the importance of the issue at hand, this is a review of film not intent.

★★★ Directed by: #SalvadorEspinosa Written by: #TiareScanda & #LeonardoZimbron Starring: #MauricioOchmann, #EsmeraldaPimetel, & #JuanMartinJauregui Film Review by Connor Slatkoff Sharpe As the summer warmth begins its annual transition into sweater weather, Netflix gives watchers one last heatwave with the release of You’ve Got This, the latest heartwarming Spanish language film from director Salvador Espinosa. The romantic comedy—Ahí te Encargo in the original Spanish—follows young married couple Alejandro (Mauricio Ochmann), affectionately known as Alex, and Ceci (played by Esmeralda Pimentel) as they struggle with the decision of whether or not to have a baby at this stage in their lives. While Alex seems singularly driven by the need to become a father, Ceci is concerned that starting a family will risk the end of her meteoric professional rise. All of these points, however, become moot as Alex finds himself suddenly entrusted with caring for a several-month-old baby named Alan, this responsibility thrust onto him by what is essentially a stranger. Hilarity and heartbreak ensue as Alejandro attempts to secretly care for this child, all the while hiding its existence from his “dictator” of a boss (referenced as Mussolini), and his loving albeit non-maternal wife—all-the-while leading Alex to realize that fatherhood wasn’t quite as easy as he had first imagined. Overall, You’ve Got This is an enjoyable although mostly predictable entry into one of Netflix’s most shallow genre of originals: romantic comedies. However, while similar in substance, the level of craft on display throughout Espinosa’s film holds it a level above the likes of Falling Inn Love and Holiday in the Wild (two other Netflix original rom-coms), allowing for the film to at times transcend the boundaries of its confining genre, and act as a surprisingly deep commentary on the social norms of parenthood. The opening scene of the movie perfectly captures the overall tone of Espinosa’s film, with a pavement-traversing long shot set to upbeat acoustic music, eventually floating up and through our lead characters’ window to find them asleep in bed. Peaceful, musical and vibrantly coloured, this first shot sets the cinematic mood for the piece, and begins to show us a refreshingly healthy view of Mexico that is created throughout the nearly two-hour runtime. It is this view of Mexico which is by far the film’s strongest and most unique aspect. Far too often, mainstream cinema, (Hollywood especially), feels the need to depict Mexico as this crime-ridden, Cartel-run country, bathed in a dusty-yellow filter and set to the audio-backdrop of machine-gun-fire. While it is certainly true that drugs and organized crime dominate many regions of the country (as they arguably do for many cities in the United States), western films like the undeniably great Sicario often paint the entire country in broad and largely inaccurate strokes. Because of this, seeing Mexico City depicted as a lush, modern and cultured cityscape, instead of some criminal underbelly, lends this film an aspect of honesty and beauty it probably wouldn’t overwise have been afforded had this been set in the US or even the UK. As a whole, You’ve Got This lacks the strength of character building needed to fully cash-in on most emotional beats (especially for side characters), choosing to further advance the plot in an interesting—albeit unsuccessful—reversal of romantic comedy norms. This being said, the overall limited character background is made up for by identity driven performances, and electric chemistry between all of the major leads, especially the comedic duo of Alejandro and co-worker Rafa (played by Juan Martín Jauregui). At times, it seems the film fluctuates between both melodrama and realism; Operatic levels of drama occur in most comedic scenes, while character relationships are approached in a raw and natural style. While this fluctuation can at-times be jarring, overall, the film adeptly toes the line between reality and stylized drama without losing the desired effect of either. One draw-back of the film is that the script—much like its main character—is obsessed with the subject of babies. Nearly every meeting, conversation and brief exchange feature mention of children, almost to the point of exhausting the film’s straight forward premise into something oppressive. Nevertheless, You’ve Got This remains a fun, stylish and at times sexy rom-com which, despite its lack of character and script depth, isn’t afraid to balance its emotional highs with dark lows, and refreshingly offers a far more modern and accurate representation of Mexico in film. #ConnorSlatkoffSharpe

★★★★ Directed by: Thiago Dadalt Produced by: Dru Miller Film Review by: Jason Knight People go missing all the time. Some are found while others are never seen again. Dadalt's powerful documentary focuses on the case of Nancy Paulikas, a woman who went missing on October 2016, while visiting the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. At the time of her disappearance, she was fifty-six years old and was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The film explores the effects her disappearance has had on her family, people's efforts in trying to find her and how her case led to the creation of a program that can help protect individuals who have conditions similar to hers. The film gets the viewer's attention right from the start, as the mystery regarding what happened to Nancy it is very intriguing. While she was at the museum with her husband Kirk, she visited the bathroom and then she proceeded to walk out off the building and carried on until she vanished. The last sight of her was through security camera footage, that shows her walking on a pavement. What did happen to Nancy Paulikas? Several theories are given: that she ended up homeless or she ended up in a care home or a hospital. The feature concentrates a lot on Kirk and her parents, Joan and George, all of which provide a very informative insight into Nancy's life, her past and childhood, the huge efforts made in order to find her and how not having her around has affected them. They truly make the audience feel for their loss. The documentary consists of many photos of Nancy, from her childhood, right up to near the time of her disappearance. There is footage of her family and friends being interviewed, as well as doctors, detectives and police officers. There are also breathtaking establishing shots of Los Angeles and sequences involving computer generated animation. And the sentimental music by Al Sgro beautifully accompanies the images. It is revealed that Nancy's case led to the emergence of the LA Found Program, which provides trackable bracelets to individuals who have conditions such as Alzheimer's, Autism or Dementia, so that they can be located if they wonder off. The film extensively explains how much this system is needed and how successful it has been. Although this documentary is upsetting, as it centers around a tragic event, it also reveals the strength of the human spirit with the establishment of the LA Found Program and thus brings hope for people in the future. It proves that when something bad happens, people are brought together and take action in order to prevent it from happening again. #JasonKnight

★★★★★ Directed by: #SeanMeehan Written by: #SeanMeehan Starring: #TimothyJCox Film Review by: Madison Ford Camera Test Subject is a short film, following an actor hired to be the camera test subject of the unknown camera operator referred to as ‘The Man’. The film encapsulates New York at night whilst highlighting the reality of being an actor. The opening piano accompaniment and establishing shot of New York at night with the traffic lights and high-rise buildings immediately sets up the scene and tone of the film. The shots are well-lit and highlight New York’s night scene really well, it shows some hustle and bustle while remaining focused on the one character (Test Subject) played by Timothy J. Cox. Meehan focuses on the smaller, more intimate parts of the city to produce an honest and more realistic view which immerses you in city life and alongside the character. You may well recognise Timothy J. Cox’s name, he’s starred in many short films, including The Jungle of Accounting, another incredible short film (go check out my review!). He’s a terrific, charismatic actor, and can give away so much with even the little movement of an eyebrow or slight change in stance. I love his work and in this film, he provides excellent humour and brings life to an already outstanding script. The film stands at just over 2 and a half minutes, and with such short runtime it could be difficult to leave an impression, but he does it brilliantly and leaves you wanting more. The guerrilla-style of filmmaking brings you up close and personal with the character, you feel as though you’re invading his space, much like the character of ‘The Man’ who you never see, but learn a lot about. The dialogue is delivered entirely through a monologue which allows you to enjoy the visual elements of this film and just sit back and listen. Cox’s performance is outstanding, his facial expressions matched with his tone of voice deliver a witty punch that makes this film thoroughly enjoyable. Sean Meehan (writer/director) and Timothy have worked together before, in 2010 they made The Beach Comber, a 4-minute short; after 10 years it’s lovely to see the two collaborating again. Meehan appears a fan of the guerrilla-style as he makes use of it in The Beach Comber too, he benefits from homing in on his skill and delivering well-filmed pieces that fit perfectly into that style. Usually for me, hand-held isn’t my favourite but I really enjoyed the way it played out in this film as it felt right for the piece. Though there appears to be a lack of narrative, the script is actually far more complex, the inner workings of someone’s thoughts can be hard to come across as accurate and natural, but here Meehan has accomplished just that. The inner monologue gives us an insight into the character’s thoughts and it’s incredibly well written. At one point, Test Subject begins listing off capitals of states in a bid to relinquish his boredom, we’ve all been there, trying anything to make the time pass, and it’s a perfect touch to this already great film. As an audience, you feel a part of this film, and because it’s so quick it’s a shame when it ends! I would definitely love to see more from these two together as it works so well here. Camera Test Subject is a witty short film, the score is perfect, the acting is tremendous and under 3 minutes, you’ve no excuse to not give it a watch!

★★★★★ Directed by: #RoseGlass Written by: Rose Glass Starring: #MorfyddClark, #JenniferEhle Film Review by: Corey Bulloch A film like Saint Maud can inspire many buzzwords; atmospheric, haunting, spellbinding, riveting, chilling, a masterpiece. Big flashy pull quotes that can boldly be printed on posters, TV ads, trend on Twitter, catch the eye of the audience and lure them in. It is how the game is played and while these words are all correct in the assessment of Rose Glass’ debut they still wouldn’t do justice to what exactly has been created here. Much like the titular character, this film transcends from the reality around her, we must give faith to the images before us and bask in it, it’s been days since I’ve seen Saint Maud and I can’t stop thinking about it. Saint Maud follows the story of Maud, a religious palliative care nurse who seeks to save terminally ill Amanda’s soul as she slowly becomes possessed by an entity and begins to question her faith and purpose. Glass’ builds this story around this bleak British seaside setting, you can feel the damp chill in the air, the only brightness coming from the lights of the carnival at night, the beautiful mundanity of it all. The work of cinematographer Ben Fordesman is just astounding and with the paintings of William Blake as a visual motif, the influence of the Romanticism era is beautifully apparent. Saint Maud is a film where every frame feels like a painting, the use of colour, lighting, and composition enhances the emotion and terror Glass’ vision inspires. Everything about the film is at top-form; an intoxicating blend of stellar production design, encompassing sound design, visuals, performance and Adam Janota Bzowski’s score, it all just draws you deeper into this cinematic perfection. It’s a horror film that doesn’t bombard you, rather than obnoxiously jumping in front of you for the same cheap scream over and over, it insidiously creeps behind you waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Despite it’s nightmarish moments Saint Maud doesn’t even feel like a traditional horror film, its character study first, examining Maud’s faith and identity through this spectrum of her relationship to Amanda. It’s innocence, guilt, regret and salvation all swirling through Morfydd Clark’s unforgettable performance, building to an outstanding crescendo. Whether it’s a scare you can’t see coming or it's slow inescapable dread (a scene involving a pair of shoes, thumbtacks and a picture of Jesus had me wincing and watching the film through my fingers) Saint Maud doesn’t disappoint. There isn’t a wasted moment, it may just be flawless as Glass and her team have expertly crafted a film that will leave audiences captivated from beginning to end. Reminiscent of the horror genre through the lens of Friedkin or Polanski, Rose Glass creates something that feels familiar yet so fresh through doing what every great filmmaker should do; reinvent and redefine. All I have are words for Saint Maud but I feel I should offer so much more, it’s not the second coming of cinema but instead that beautiful reminder that despite over a century of films, no matter what, there will always be something new to leave you speechless. It must be seen to be believed and in a time where the cinema’s future seems so dire, they may be no better saviour for her than Saint Maud. #CoreyBulloch

★★★★ Directed by: Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart Written by: Will Collins Starring: Honor Knightsly, Eva Whittaker and Sean Bean. Film Review by Robert Stayte Cartoon Saloon’s films act as a refreshingly indie counterpart to the usual animated features produced by Disney, Dreamworks or even the non-American Aardman/Studio Ghibli. Wolfwalkers is the third film in their thematically connected but otherwise separate “Irish Folklore Trilogy”, started with The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea. It acts as a good final chapter in this series and another home run for them. In 1650 Ireland, the British Robin (Honor Knightsly) and her father Bill (Sean Bean) live in a closed off town near the forest. In the forest live a pack of wolves and two humans known as “Wolfwalkers”, who can turn into wolves when they are unconscious. Robin ends up going into the woods and befriending Mebh (Eva Whittaker), whose mother Moll (Maria Doyle Kennedy) is on a journey in wolf form to find a new home. Soon a series of circumstances happen that cause a conflict between their two communities. The Secret of Kells was a strong foundation and Song of the Sea was a total masterpiece, so it was inevitable that Wolfwalkers would have a lot to live up to. Admittedly, it does have some niggling flaws. The story feels a bit cliched, with the general narrative feeling like a retread of Avatar, Princess Mononoke and District 9, which does take away from the engagement of the story because you will probably be distracted by thinking about those. Also, I did feel that maybe 5-10 minutes could have been trimmed just to lose some repetitiveness and mild fat. Finally, the villain, referred to as the Lord (Simon McBurney) but basically Oliver Cromwell, is a step down from the prior antagonists of the Foklore trilogy who were either non-existent or very complex. The Lord is just pure evil, with little dimension save a strong final moment. However, those flaws are ultimately minor, as the narrative does go in many interesting directions and contains some strongly political and humanist themes that are well conveyed and universally relatable. The main characters are also fleshed out quite well, with Bill being a very complex character torn between his daughter and his duty and Robin being an extremely fun and likeable heroine. Mebh borders on annoying but overall, she is still easy to care about. Another strength is the tone, as there is no comic relief to forcefully add lightness yet the tone is also not so dark that families and children specifically couldn’t enjoy it. And finally, the Lord being pure evil does work well for the story and him being Oliver Cromwell adds historical catharsis to an otherwise fantastical story. Wolfwalkers has most of the technical strengths of the prior Cartoon Saloon films, as the animation is breathtakingly beautiful. The storybook look is just as appealing as it has always been and the direction from Tomm Moore is intense and stylistic. Voice acting is incredibly strong, especially from the leads, as Honor, Eva and Sean give powerful performances that ask a lot of them. Wolfwalkers sits somewhere in between The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea in the Irish Foklore Trilogy, but as a film on it’s own, it is an engaging and effective fantasy adventure that will likely entertain both kids and adults. Cartoon Saloon have more than established themselves as a Studio to watch out for.

★★★ Written and directed by #AntonKudrov Starring #AdamButler, #AnnaMacDonald, #JamieHughes, #HannahBamberg, #JiannaGrasso Short Film Review by #HannahSayer “To be a happy man, find yourself a woman who helps you with the chores, is a good cook, that you can trust, and enjoys making love to you. And then, most importantly, never let those four women meet.” Wealthy young bachelor Tommy van Doren has invited four women to his grandiose mansion for dinner. Something is amiss when that very evening he is found dead. His cause of death appears to have been immediate and there are no visible wounds. Written and directed by Anton Kudrov, Lybeck follows the eponymous private investigator who is hired to take on the mysterious case. The short film opens with Lybeck, played by Adam Butler, arriving at the late Mr van Doren’s premises. He is greeted by the housekeeper who recounts the evening’s events. Mr van Doren invited all four women to dinner, and the housekeeper stayed away until she heard a piercing scream. The women are awaiting questioning as they are all now suspects in his murder. Lybeck instructs the four women to empty their belongings out onto the table, as he discovers that each has a possible murder weapon and a potential motive hiding in plain sight. The suspects lay out their alibis to Lybeck one by one, yet something about the case feels off. The stylish production design and slick cinematography reinforce the decadent feel established by the grand setting of the mansion. The music adds an exciting element of shock and horror through the use of striking piano chords. The structure of the short film is reminiscent of the classic murder mystery genre, as flashbacks are used effectively throughout to allow Kudrov to withhold information from the viewer. The camerawork cleverly aids the storytelling through the use of long takes and close ups. The otherwise familiar plotting feels elevated by the way in which the camera uncovers the clues slowly and assuredly, as the viewer tries to decipher what is going on along with Lybeck. The camerawork doesn’t overwhelm, but rather succeeds at quietly informing and hinting at different clues along the way. Lybeck succeeds in capturing a story from an overly familiar genre in an intriguing way. The final twist is a satisfying ending, which manages to stick to conventions of the genre while not leading to too obvious a conclusion.