★★★ Directed By: #HansiOppenheimer Starring: #JoeLansdale Film Review by: #ChrisBuick If you know very little (or indeed nothing at all like I did) about the prolific author Joe R. Lansdale, then the Wild West/Americana opening credits to documentary film All Hail the Popcorn King may spark some initial preconceptions about the type of man you’re about to be introduced to. Perhaps an outlaw with a certain notoriety? And while we do indeed get to meet a rather interesting individual, the word “outlaw” slowly makes way for “icon”. All Hail the Popcorn King is the part biography, part testimonial of author and proud Texan Joe R. Lansdale, who has written countless novels, novellas, comics, graphic novels and short stories spanning several decades and a wide array of genres including Hap & Leonard, Bubba Ho-Tep, Cold in July and The Drive-In. His works have been adapted many times into television series and films, gained him a multitude of accolades and an impressive cult following that includes some impressive names from all areas of pop-culture. Oh, and he is also a sōke or Grand Master in the Martial Arts Hall of Fame and has created his own style of martial arts, if that wasn’t enough. Lansdale has a lot to be admired for to be sure. But what is most apparent right away is that Joe is very much a no-bullshit kind of guy. What you see is what you get with him, and he is a guy that will tell it to you straight. But it’s never with any malice. Joe is simply a guy who doesn’t want to waste his time or yours. And when you look at what he has achieved over the years, its hard to argue with the results. But he is a man who loves to tell a story. We don’t ever see or hear anything overly exciting or controversial, but Lansdale is such an adept story teller that when he relays to us about the days of his early childhood, where drive-in movies and segregation were still the norm, he manages at times to transport us someplace else, something Oppenheimer is clearly aware of as she simply lets the camera roll with his words. Again, this is not film with a lot of dramatic revelation that’s going to leave you on the edge of your seat. While some documentaries are hard-hitting, shocking exposés or implement a wealth of vivid imagery to try and catch your attention, All Hail the Popcorn King doesn’t bother with any of that. It never completely blows you away or delivers anything ground-breaking, but that’s never even remotely its intention either. Instead, what Oppenheimer has crafted in just under an hour is film that is not just an intriguing insight into the life and mind of “the most well-known unknown author” in the business, but also a love letter penned not just by the filmmaker but by many of Lansdales avid fans from all walks of life, and we get this great sense of admiration for this man through several first-hand account from other pop-culture icons such as Bruce Campbell, Joe Hill, and James Purefoy. It might be a bit pedestrian at times, attentions may drift in and out. But for those aspiring writers and creators out there, All Hail the Popcorn King is an endearing retrospective of an artist’s insight, wisdom and passion for his craft that will be seen as a fitting tribute by his fans and a great introduction to his work for newcomers. #ChrisBuick Watch the trailer here:

★★ Directed by #SunDongYoo Written by #JakJang #SunDongYoo Starring #JungEunji #LeeSungyeol Film Review by George Wolf Imagine it’s 1984. One of the members of Banarama has joined one of the members of Duran Duran in the cast of a new horror movie. That movie is assembled with the ideas and scenes from much better films, but young pop music fans probably haven’t seen any of ’em, so who cares? Now, put on your mask and join us back in 2020. A similar mindset seems to propel 0.0 Mhz, a Shudder original that brings two stars of the South Korean K-Pop phenomenon to the screen. Jung Eun-ji, lead singer of the band Apink, also takes the lead here as So-hee, the newbie in a teen team of ghost-chasers known as “Club 0.0 Mhz.” See, that’s the best frequency to call ghosts (don’t argue), and So-hee’s first outing with the group is to a supposedly haunted house in the woods where the kids aim to dial up a little necromancy. But what Sang-Yeob (Lee Sung-yeol from the band Infinite) and the rest of the gang don’t know is…their new recruit comes from a long line of dead people-seers. The local at the general store who tells them all not to go to there is just the first in a string of heavily borrowed narrative checkpoints. Pulling from The Grudge to Elm Street to The Conjuring to The Exorcist, first time director Sun-Dong Yoo adapts Jang Jak’s popular webcomic with barely a whisper of originality or visual flair. But 0.0 Mhz is clearly aimed a notch below anyone who has seen those films. This is strictly teenage fare, content to provide good-looking idols to swoon over and warmed-over scares for kids who want to scream but not have nightmares. It accomplishes that, and not much else. So when get-togethers are all good again, 0.0 Mhz will be more than ready to slumber party! #GeorgeWolf

★ Directed by: #JoeLeone Written by: Joe Leone Starring: #AlexisAbrams, #AnnabelleLyttle, #ArielleFray, #KerwinJohnsonJr Indie Film Review by: Corey Bulloch With its premise and production value, Blood Falls would have been better served leaning towards more self-referential schlock as the hallucinatory witchcraft which plagues the main characters leaves audiences disengaged and confused by the repetitive imagery. Writer-director Joe Leone initially plays into horror tropes with beginning with a group of friends spending a weekend out of town in an estranged family home. Ren, who is housesitting for her aunt for the weekend makes discoveries of her relative's interest of witchcraft which begins a descent into disturbing layered dreams and delusions. Although Ren is presented as a young woman struggling to make sense of her place in the world, Blood Falls has no escalation or sensical story, Leone relies on the same repetitive question of “what is real?”, over and over again. The questions of Blood Falls are never answered and the feature-length runtime makes viewing it a laborious headache as its clear that Leone is hoping the smoke and mirrors of witchcraft imagery and continuing narrative reshuffles will distract from the shortcomings. It’s never made clear why Ren is being targeted and the resolutions the third act bring forward are predictable, uninspired and offers no exciting payoff. With character motivations undeveloped and confusing, Leone’s script is just circling the drain for the whole runtime, Ren is continually questioning what is happening to her but there is no sense of urgency or panic, just the same three-story beats repeated. Blood Falls lacks atmosphere at every turn as the witchcraft, paranoia and hallucinations remain completely lifeless with every reveal. While low budget filmmaking is never something to look down upon, the lack of care to the filmmaking in Blood Falls is extremely frustrating as the camera work especially breaks immersion. The film is clearly shot with digital camcorders and during the scenes set during the night or in dark rooms (of which there are many) the autofocus begins adjusting frequently. Many scenes which should be inspiring dread and trepidation in the audience are blurry and hard to see because of extreme pixelation due to poor lighting. At times it would seem that different cameras are being used, with colour temperatures not matching up or video quality shifting between editing cuts. There are some scenes where Leone works this into Ren’s hallucinations but it feels like trying to jimmy rig the faults in his filmmaking to make sense. Blood Falls is riddled with confusing non-sensical mistakes and it would seem that Leone tries to sweep it all under the rug by constantly having Ren’s reality shift to absolve any responsibility for shoddy execution. It doesn’t work and the low production value really makes it hard to buy into anything about this story or its themes. Blood Falls also stumbles in its editing as Leone relies on quick cuts and flashes to create tension, an attempt of subliminal imagery but instead comes across as distracting and sometimes feeling like clips are missing from the edit. Relative to the curve however the acting isn’t outright terrible, Alexis Abrams who leads the film as Ren can sell her character’s frustration and relationships its just Leone’s script and direction doesn’t allow anyone to really explore anything. It’s predictable and confusing tropes all blended and the repetitive nature of the structure leaves Abrams and her co-stars floundering. Blood Falls could have possible been entertaining if it leaned into more absurd ideas and execution but Leone’s direction to play it straight just leaves it firmly in a disappointing territory with nothing on offer. #CoreyBulloch #indiefilm

★★★★ Directed by #KirillSokolov Written by #KirilSokolov Starring #AleksandrKustnetsov #VitaliyKhaev Film Review by Hope Madden Given that 75% of writer/director Kirill Sokolov’s Why Don’t You Just Die! takes place in a single apartment—one room of that apartment, really—you might be surprised to learn that it’s an action film. It’s pretty heavy on the action, actually, amplified by inspired framing, kinetic choreography, sometimes hilarious but always eye-popping choreography, and blood. Just a shit ton of blood. This movie is a hoot! And, yes, it is Russian, so there will be some reading. Not a lot, honestly, and Sokolov’s grasp of visual language is so firm that you really would not have to read a single word to understand every nuance of the film. Scrappy thug Matvei (Aleksandr Kuznetsov) waits outside an apartment door, wary to ring the bell. Behind his back he hides a hammer, tightly gripped. When the door opens, the imposing Andrei (Vitaliy Khaev) looms. Suspicious, big, bald, effortlessly alpha (just ask the neighbor’s yipping dog), he eyes Matvei. Matvei eyes back. Things move inside. Sokolov sets up a raucous mystery. Why is Matvei here? What does Andrei’s daughter have to do with it? Why isn’t Natasha in the country? How can Yevgenich help? Does every single one of these people have reason to want Andrei dead? The answer to the last one is yes. As these characters limp into and out of the apartment (or don’t), Sokolov helps you keep track by virtue of theme music. Each character has his or her own. The quiet, brooding Matvei’s music, for instance, soars like a Morricone Western theme. But is he a black hat or a white? With a spare script, visual wonder and energy to burn, Why Don’t You Just Die! promises snatch your attention like a duffle bag of cash and hang on until exactly enough blood is spilled. That’s a lot. #HopeMadden

★★★★ Directed by #AndrewPochan Written by #SueLange Starring #VickiHallerGraff, #TamaraBlack, #YasirisAlvarado, #MariaDamore, #NarciRegina, #OliviaDamore, #BradleyHawkins, #JimmyDamore Short Film Review by Jack Bottomley As movies continue to progress with what they can accomplish and the stories they can tell, originality can be hard to come by. Even bold ideas or fresh ideas have visible influences or their filmmakers have been encouraged by the work of another. A truly original idea is not an easy thing to achieve but I can safely say that director #AndrewPochan’s (co-directed by writer #SueLange) Traffic Opera is startlingly original and infectiously enjoyable. Make no mistake, its title is no metaphor, it is very much literal, an opera amidst traffic, and it’s as fun as it sounds. As various drivers of differing backgrounds become embroiled in a traffic delaying incident that soon begins to escalate, they are forced to come together despite their differences. Traffic Opera is a real ensemble effort, the emphasis being on effort! Ambitiously staged and extremely enjoyable, with an infectious energy that carries the film through any flaws because you are just so impressed it all came together! Behind this simple but daringly delivered short, the real meat comes in the shape of an important message (particularly for this day and age) that - no matter what our background - we are all better off working together than apart. Though the film’s real ace card in relaying this notion is its ambition, as it doesn’t just stick with one set of characters - which is what you initially think as the film begins - instead it mixes things up in its grand orchestra of road delays, vehicular immobility and frustrated drivers, playing up to people’s stereotypes and prejudices to get to the heart of its story and make these characters flourish! Pochan’s direction is stage show-esque, as it unfolds from one setting to another, getting bigger, grander and wilder, before wrapping up with a quiet crescendo, making good use of an aerial shot of the Reading, Pennsylvania location, it’s as if we are returning to our lives after a barmy experience...which is technically what this is. The production value is of an incredibly high standard and as scenes like La La Land’s traffic sequence come to mind, this goes further than just a passing set piece, it makes the utmost of its idea and the talented team who bring it to engrossing, toe-tapping life. The cinematography from #SteveBackwalter, #KevinHackenberg and #SebastianNieves is great, capturing some in-car scenes as well as the congested road scenes. Some of the film’s little details set the tone (car bumper stickers, in-car props, costume) as much as the lyrics of the ongoing singing do, as the everyday fracas of life, despite being given a soundtrack, is made relatable and familiar, yet also cinematic through pure giddy silly movie magic...it reminded me a tad of Inside No. 9’s “Zanzibar” episode. Though it is, of course, the music that shines beyond anything else, as Sue Lange’s screenplay is absolutely brought to full life by a hugely talented team of operatic singers and by a excellent string of musicians that give composer #ChrisHeslop’s music impact. The actors are - mostly - not doing the singing and some more over the top performances do show up that fact but sometimes it does kind of add to the movie’s madcap charm. The characters are not so much named as they are given general descriptions, which is in line with the short’s comments on prejudices, as the cast is occupied by the likes of Soccer Mom (#VickiHallerGraff (actor) & #TamaraBlack (singer), Latina #1 (#YasirisAlvarado (actor) &#MariaDamore (singer), Latina # 2 (#NarciRegina (actor) & #OliviaDamore (singer), Businessman (#BradleyHawkins (actor) & #JimmyDamore (singer), Rasta #1 (#GregHilbert (actor) & #ChristopherDavidRoché (singer) and Rasta #2 (#RashiedaAwan (actor) & Vicki Haller Graff (singer). In terms of performance, #ChristineCieplinski steals the show as a driver in the worst predicament possible, even more so as she occupies both roles of actor and singer and has that instant charm of a Melissa McCarthy-like figure. The writing is not always laugh out loud hilarious but is charming, grounded in reality and entertaining, as Sue Lange sees the joy in the everyday. Her screenplay turns a normal daily scenario into a weird and wonderful playground, as the anonymous varied faces behind the steering wheels in a traffic jam are turned into flamboyant and exciting characters, whom stand out. There’s even a post-credits scene that likely will echo what many viewers are thinking after one particular scene earlier. Overall Traffic Opera is a musical blast that takes its unusual yet identifiable idea and just runs with it. A lot of fun. #JackBottomley

★ Directed by #RaphaelVieira Starring: #ChipLane #SimoneGriffeth #JennGotzon #ChelseaCardwell #SandraWVanNatta #ChristopherWatson Film review by Nathanial Eker Yikes. Untouched is a painfully misguided drama that seemingly exists purely to propagandise a social movement. Ignoring film as a platform for inspiring debate, Untouched chooses to beat its audience over the head with emotive iconography and aggressive, accusatory sanctions. It's also not aided by pantomimic acting, whiplash inducing tone, and exposition so on the nose, that you can practically count the hairs. Mitch (Chip Lane) is an alcoholic lawyer in Savannah tasked with defending a preacher’s teenage daughter, accused of murdering her own child. When his ex ‘RJ’ (Jenn Gotzon) gets involved, the case turns nasty, and Mitch’s own demons must be confronted. Let’s discuss the elephant in the room. Film is of course regularly used as a platform to encourage debate, usually through metaphor, or via a grippingly realistic case study. Untouched provides neither, and its markedly clunky argument simply serves to make us cringe at its overtness; the scene where an innocent woman is openly shamed for her abortion was difficult to watch, to say the least. While the script tries to cover its accusatory subtext by removing agency from the accused, this only serves to further damage its erroneous modus operandi. Jacquelyn and Angela (the two women that lose a child) are given virtually no screen time, crafting a perspective led by male dominance. A more cynical man might suggest that this is a tactic to coyly side-step into a pro-life message without directly reprimanding the women themselves. By trying to have their cake and eat it too, the filmmakers end up with a sentiment that oxymoronically admonishes abortion without directly confronting those who would have the procedure. Regardless of its heavy-handed themes, Untouched remains an ineffective legal drama. Almost every player is dull, unbelievable, wooden, or a combination of the three. Chelsea Cardwell as Lauren offers a refreshing exception, though despite initially appearing to be a secondary protagonist, she’s relegated to background fodder; engulfed by an absurd number of side-characters. The cinematography of Untouched is comparatively stronger, though there is a bizarre obsession with amateurish time-lapses. Equally, the mise-en-scène ranges from an impressive, Law and Order style courtroom, to a downright laughable ‘trashed’ lounge consisting of one messy shirt and a rogue banana peel. To give credit where due, there are well-considered musical motifs, though the score tends to tonally jar more often than is comfortable. Some scenes begin with percussion and electric guitar led motifs typical of the legal drama genre, only to blend into melodies more at home in a romantic comedy. Unsurprisingly, it’s the writing that hammers the final nail into Untouched’s coffin. Exposition is so overt that you’d be forgiven for mistaking the supporting cast for a Brechtian Greek chorus, explaining the subtext that we’re clearly too thick to understand. Exchanges between characters lack chemistry and do nothing to support the painful overacting, though the script does remain exemplar in one way; it’s an excellent case study for the need to redraft. Untouched doesn’t have a lot going for it. Its plot is predictable and biased, its pace is sluggish, and its actors seem ripped straight from only the worst Scary Movie spinoff. Despite some okay cinematography and an occasionally enjoyable musical motif, this amateurish indie flick is buried under the weight of its own propagandised ambitions. Had it been reduced to a twenty-minute short with most of the cast cut, it could’ve presented its message in a more compelling manner. As is, its heavy handed, one-sided approach is perhaps what damages it most, as it raises questions that the filmmakers would seemingly rather not answer. Such as: Why are events shown from Mitch’s perspective? Why is there no female perspective that addresses how they feel about having lost a child? And most damming of all; why is Jacquelyn a plot device to serve the redemption arc of a privileged, alcoholic white male? That’s not to say that men can’t struggle with mental health or be affected by the act of aborting their child; of course they can. However, the lack of a substantial female voice in a story about a female-only procedure leaves me with a profoundly sour taste. Regardless of whether you find its message problematic, the fact remains that the film is simply not very well made. It’s all in all better left ‘untouched.’ #NathanialEker

UK based GRIMMFEST, one of Europe’s most prestigious genre film festivals, is delighted to announce the launch of GRIMMFEST TV on Monday 20th April 2020. GRIMMFEST TV is a new TV channel dedicated to horror films of all types, through which viewers can access exciting features and short films from the Grimmfest archives. GRIMMFEST TV will be available at: Grimmfest.com/TV. Festival Director Simeon Halligan said 'Right now, it's impossible to access cinemas or screening events in most countries, and we thought it would be a great idea to give something back to all of the amazing genre film fans out there that keep all of us film makers and exhibitors doing what we love to do. With that in mind, Grimmfest has been busy curating content for our new channel with award-winning horror shorts and features that have premiered at recent additions of Grimmfest. The films will be available to view for free, while the world is in Lockdown.' The Grimmfest team have reached out to many of the amazing film makers who have screened at past editions of Grimmfest, to offer a new platform to present their work. Simeon went onto say, 'We believe this will benefit both fans and filmmakers too, as the Grimmfest brand and its online reach will give all the selected films some much-needed exposure while people are staying at home and unable to visit cinemas and film festivals across the World'. GRIMMFEST TV will launch with a fine selection of features and shorts, including Grimmfest 2018 BEST SHORT award winner WE SUMMONED A DEMON, Grimmfest 2019 BEST SHORT award winner LIMBO, SYBIL, LOOM, GOD'S KINGDOM and may more. Features will include Grimmfest 2017 opening night film, HABIT and Rob Grant’s (Harpoon) horror comedy MON AMI (AKA FRENEMIES), Swedish gorefest WITHER and the suitably virus themed LA CONTAGION. Each week at least two new films will be added to the channel, building a library of exciting content. Grimmfest is also currently exploring ways to utilise this new platform in order to bring an online element to future editions of Grimmfest film festival.

★★★★ Directed by: #PeterDornRavlin Written by: #PeterDornRavlin Starring: #JuliaYoung, #CaseyDavis, #MitchellRitter, #MirandaYoung, #CassandraYoung Short Film Review by Aaron Gillingham Mirror Shadows is a 2019 short film directed by Peter Dorn-Ravlin and focusses on a young girl named Sophie who fears she is not alone in her house one night. I didn’t know what to expect going into this film in all fairness, but from the opening shots alone I knew I was in for something interesting. Immediately the first thing which stood out to me in this short film was its shot composition and cinematography. The opening shot of waves violently hitting a cliff face in reverse is a bold and striking way to start a short film. Then to suddenly transition to black and white for almost the rest of the film’s runtime shows that Ravlin is not afraid to experiment with the visual storytelling of his films. Having the majority of the short film be in black and white also means that any moments of colour that do appear are more significant, and this film uses colour sparingly but brilliantly. For instance, shots of the evil spirit or Sophie looking out at the sunrise towards the end of the film stick in your head as they burst from the screen with their bright, vivid colours. When it comes to story, Mirror Shadows keeps it fairly simple. Sophie is all on her own and strange things keep happening to her. The film presents these strange occurrences in a rather ambiguous way which definitely works to the advantage of the creepy tone the film sets up right from the start. There is a rough resemblance of a plot structure, enough to get the film from a beginning to an end but to be honest it’s the cinematography and overall tone that maintain your attention throughout the film. The acting is fine. No one is particularly great, but the performances get the job done for the sake of the story to work. Julia Young has some standout moments as the main character Sophie but does look a little uninterested in a few specific scenes. Though this is a decent little short film it is held back one issue…its sound design. I understand that sounds need to be clear and noticeable at certain points to emphasise the tension or drama of a scene. Unfortunately, quite a few sound effects in this short film are a bit too noticeable. On quite a few occasions, different sounds will be louder than they actually need to be. For example, near the start of the film some crickets outside of Sophie’s house drown out the soundtrack as well as a glass of water that Sophie drinks which sounds like it’s right next to your ear when, in the shot, Sophie is pretty far away from the camera. This occurs multiple times throughout the film and is annoying when it happens. Overall, Mirror Shadows is a good short film with great cinematography and ok performances which is let down at times by its obnoxiously loud sound design. #AaronGillingham

★★★★ Directed By: #LindaPalmer Written By: #LindaPalmer #LarreDGriffith Starring: #PaulGuilfoyle #RikerLynch #CarlosCarrasco #JuliaSilverman #JamieBrewer #AdwinBrown #IsabellaBlakeThomas #ElinaMadison #BlairWilliamson #KatKramer Indie Film Review by: #ChrisBuick “The most important part of making a good turnover, is the flakiness of the dough.” Peter (Guilfoyle, CSI, LA Confidential) is the proud proprietor of a humble yet successful café. But while the establishment might be doing well, it is a demanding mistress and Peter also must contend with an ongoing messy divorce from his insufferable wife Fran (Kramer, Little Fockers), who is now engaged to another man. On top of all that, his doctors have told him that his heart could give out at any moment if he doesn’t get his stress under control. Luckily, the one person he can count on is his loyal café manager right? Wrong. After feeling undervalued by Peter for what he sees as the millionth and last time, Henry (Lynch, Glee) hires the most eclectic group of rejects (as he calls them) to take over, thus setting the café on an almost certain course for failure. Peter must now open his heart and his mind to these colourful characters if he is to keep his head above water. It must be said first and foremost, Turnover might have the most mouth-watering opening credits I’ve seen in a long time. But if you’re expecting the remainder of the two-hour runtime time to be full of gratuitous food-porn a la Chef, you’re wrong. What veteran filmmaker Linda Palmer serves up instead is something much sweeter. To be honest, for a while, it was hard to warm to. The café newcomers appeared initially like mere stereotypes, Kramer’s Fran seemed much too cartoonish in her villainy, and the film had the feel of a silly caper, especially with its somewhat bouncy score. But just as sure as a good dough takes its time rising in the oven, by the end Turnover gets you, and you it. The film simply has too much heart and soul for you not to like it. It becomes clear as the film goes on that there is a lot more here than just a silly indie drama about a café. There are layers and layers of social commentary at play, topics such as diversity, inclusion and prejudice are all tackled, while at the same time the film is pushing so many important lessons; age is just a number, no one is better off alone and never judge a book by its cover. It’s not subtle by any means, but it works and the way these themes are carried off shows great writing talent from both Parker and Griffith. Some of the jokes do land awkwardly, and it does travel down some obvious routes for laughs. There are also moments where it doesn’t handle its social themes with total grace, seemingly enforcing a few stereotypes here and there rather than addressing them. But it is a film that always has the best intentions and when the film does take its more dramatic turns, it truly earns those heartfelt moments. As with the film itself, those characters who seemed rather two-dimensional at introduction also find a way to your very soul by the end, which is probably due to the roles being occupied by such a capable ensemble cast. New chef Miguel (Carrasco) might be a personal standout as the tough ex-con with the biggest heart, followed extremely closely by Guilfoyle, who adds so much warmth and depth to long-suffering Peter and undergoes immense character development not once, but twice. Turnover has its stumbles, but goddamn its heart-warming. Sure it has its fair share of cheesy moments, but it never indulges too much and when the result is this sweet, who cares? #ChrisBuick Watch the trailer here:

★★★★ Directed by: #HarveyPuttock Written by: #HarveyPuttock Starring: #AmyWhitworth, #TomPatient, #DusanMrden, #AlexaDoyle Film Review by: Darren Tilby The movie begins with Virginia (Amy Whitworth), a young woman with the peculiar “gift” of being able to grant anybody one wish, appearing on a fictional late-night chat show. Host Darryl Van Well (Dusan Mrden) has her grant the wish of a woman, blind from birth, the gift of sight, live on air. Which she promptly does. But Virginia is clearly not comfortable with using her gift. She’s used to it, of course. She’s been used like this her whole life. In fact, this entire opening sequence is indicative of the media’s exploitation of people in the fight for better ratings. But why does she really not like using her gift? What could possibly be wrong with being able to grant people’s wishes? Well, it soon becomes clear that Virginia’s gift comes with a huge disclaimer: any effects of a wish can’t be undone. To make matters worse, she doesn’t have total control over it either - “It’s not that easy”. Mistakes have been made, wishes have been granted that should never have been granted, and people have suffered for it. Even died. But at least she has the “love and support” of her boyfriend, Nick (Tom Patient), to get her through. And, after contemplating her role in the world (all the good, and all the bad), she decides it’s time to ask Nick to wish away her gift. But there’s a small problem with her plan. The movie itself is a rumination of one’s impact on the world—for better or worse. And there’s no denying that one individual can make an enormous difference. Take the recent #climatestrike movement started by Greta Thunberg, that’s inspired millions of people and obliged entire governments to change their climate policies. This is the kind of responsibility Virginia finds herself bearing. And while it’s clear from Whitworth’s sterling performance that she enjoys the good she’s able to do, it’s still an incredibly heavy burden to bear. She looks continuously exhausted. The majority of the film takes place in conversation around a dinner table, but make no mistake, this is gripping stuff. The dialogue is delivered to perfection by two superb actors (Whitworth and Patient) and is itself beautifully constructed. The audience is gradually taken off-road and down an ever-increasingly slippery slope as the night begins to deteriorate. Until we’re sliding inexorably towards the now painful and horrific obviousness of the couple’s relationship. This had been a movie about domestic abuse all along. It’s not immediately apparent, and the film does a good job of hiding it behind a facade of whimsy. Which could itself be a metaphor for domestic abuse? Regardless, the signs are there—if you look hard enough. There’s definitely a lot going on here. An argument could be made for there being a little too much going on. And there are some weird tonal discrepancies at times which took me out of the moment. Namely, things that were supposed to be sobering but just came across as funny to me (engagement party story, anyone?). But, personally, I really enjoyed this movie. Nothing feels out of place or tacked on for the sake of it, the narrative flows really well, and the performances are enthralling and complex. Yes, Virginia is due to be released on April 29th. Check it out when you can.

★★★ Directed by: #RhysJones Written by: #XanderGrant Starring: #LucasEisele, #HannahCelynGriffiths, #MatthewDoman, #BethanLeyshon Short Film Review by Aaron Gillingham This 2019 Sci-Fi short film from Cardiff based Watchers Productions is a fascinating glimpse into how a filmmaker can utilise limited resources to the best of their ability. Epimetheus decides to tell its rather simple story in a very rough and ready manner rather than being over-stylised and well-polished. The short film cleverly opts for a vlog style approach, from Peter’s livestream which opens the short to the self-shot/phone camerawork later on. Just as one style of presentation starts to get old the film finds a visual way to keep the audience engaged. Each of these variations of presentation are all convincingly shot as well, the YouTube segment looks like a legitimate vlog and the part where Peter FaceTime’s Frankie does look (and sound) as if it was recorded on a phone. This leads into another one of the film’s highlights which is the editing. The glitchy effects and subliminal imagery all benefit the unsettling tone very well and again, similar to the variety of shot uses, there are so many different ideas on show here that maintain a high level of intrigue in the viewer from start to finish. The story isn’t anything mind-blowing, but it works brilliantly as a catalyst for some well written character drama and genuine suspense to take place. As a viewer you really feel for Peter due to the many things that go wrong for him and that is mainly due to the films assorted styles of presentation and solid writing. My only issue with Epimetheus comes in the form of the acting. Hannah Celyn Griffiths, Matthew Doman and Bethan Leyshon all do fantastic jobs voice acting as the many people Peter talks to on his phone. They all sound very authentic to their parts and help drive the story forward. However, the weakest link when it comes to performances is actually Peter himself played by Lucas Eisele. During the more emotionally powerful moments of the film, such as the ending and his talk with Frankie, Lucas really shines and makes the most out of the emotion of the scene. That being said, there are other points throughout the film where he’s on his own and it’s these parts where I feel Lucas struggles. When the story calls for him to give it his all he brings his a-game to the table but unfortunately Lucas comes across a bit wooden during the quieter, in-between moments. Epimetheus manages to rectify its simplistic story with a rather creative visual approach that is backed up by some inventive editing and a good cast. #AaronGillingham

★★★★ Directed by #NanniMoretti Written by #NanniMoretti Film Review by Hope Madden History repeats itself. This often frustrating, even tragic theme has powered many films and documentaries over the years, including Nanni Moretti’s Santiago, Italia. An account of Chile’s 1973 military coup, Santiago, Italia approaches its history with a fascinating, character-driven approach. An opening news footage montage sets the stage—no timeline or voiceover narration detail events for you. The people of Chile democratically elect a socialist president. Chileans are excited and hopeful. Big business and the military is not. Planes fly low over the city. Bombs drop. Hope turns to terror. Moretti, 6-time nominee and 2001 winner of the Palme d’Or, isn’t exactly known as a documentarian. His instincts as a storyteller supersede, even complement, his disregard for the standard practice of documentary. The result is a slice of global, political, human life that bristles with passion and indignation. Moretti’s main characters are a handful of Chilean exiles, persecuted and, in several cases, tortured for their political views and later exiled to Italy. As moving as it is to see emotion sneak up on someone remembering a moment now nearly fifty years old, witnessing someone recount their own torture with such a clear eye and lack of emotion is even more unsettling. The filmmaker spends time with former military as well. Among others, he interviews imprisoned war criminal Raul Iturriaga, who believes the two sides should just forgive and forget. Irked at the direction the interview takes, Iturriaga challenges Moretti’s impartiality. Moretti corrects him. “Yo no soy imparcial.” And why should he be? With Santiago, Italy, Moretti recounts a story of two countries bound by a common desire for freedom from tyranny. As he sees that history replay itself once again, he believes that this is a story that bears repeating. #HopeMadden