★★★ Directed by: Jim Dethick Written by: #JimDethick Starring: #DavidRobinson, #JosephDethick, and Jim Dethick Short Film Review by: #ChrisOlson Obscure and surrealist cinema from filmmaker Jim Dethick, The Newt-Man of Memory Lane is a short film that revels in the bizarre. From its characters to its sound and visuals, audiences are submerged into an eccentric folk horror story that is creative, poetic and at times unnerving. David Robinson plays Keith Hoon-Fox, a man on a mission to find the legendary Newt-Man, a mysterious and potentially lethal figure who roams the landscape with a trumpet. To try and describe the plot any more would potentially spoil. It would also assume I fully understood what transpired when I watched the short film which would be an almighty fib. I am still grappling with the storyline and cannot fully fathom most of what was being shown. Certain visuals have been burned into my brain, however, in particular the final sequence which I won't spoil but can say it was mesmerising and distressing all at the same time. Dethick manages to create a short movie that balances dark with intrigue very well. It is obviously going to be a divisive piece but it would be unfair to say that The Newt-Man of Memory Lane was not, at the very least, a fascinating and ambitious composition of #filmmaking. The frenetic editing is efficiently perturbing, keeping the viewer in a semi-nightmarish state throughout, whilst the often arresting visuals of Robinson in the Yorkshire and Derbyshire countryside are quite magnificent to watch. The use of #blackandwhite for certain sequences is always a controversial artistic choice and in this case a suitable one. The folklorish nature of the tale and the vague time references are reflected in the use or absence of colour. Further devices such as wobbly cameras and elongated distance shots and zooms keep everyone on their toes. It is this technical capability that is perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of the short. As with so much of #surrealist cinema, many viewers (myself included) will find it difficult to penetrate the narrative with so much noise and confusion. And whilst there is most certainly intrigue being created, it was difficult to fully invest in the story or central character. Too much obscurity surrounding the whole thing existed and lots of sequences felt unfulfilling. Perhaps numerous watches are required but overall the feeling many viewers will leave with is one of baffled irritance rather than piqued interest, even if the technical variety and skill on display from Dethick is notably admirable. Watch the official movie trailer below.

★★★ Directed by: #GregoryRocco Starring: #JohnLarkin, #KevinMichaelMurphy, #RobinFBaker, #NicoleBalsam, #MarianneGoodell and #JacobAldenRoa Indie Film Review by: #BrianPenn In a world increasingly driven by social media and the quest for perfection, indie film Stretch Marks will resonate with anyone looking for a beach ready body. Lyle (John Larkin) is coming to terms with the death of his father and finds refuge as a comfort eater. His square jawed brother James (Jacob Alden Roa) is a regular gym bunny and desperate for his sibling to lose weight; while their mother (Marianne Goodell) is knee deep in grief and unable to engage with her children. Lyle’s frustrations are compounded working as a photo editor in an advertising company. Not only is he bombarded with images of the perfect body but is also smitten by office pin-up Alessa (Nicole Balsam). Tipping the scales at 284Ibs he resolves to lose six stone. James spurs him on with the mantra that 70% of feeling good is looking good; best friend Keith (Kevin Michael Murphy) really can’t see what the problem is; happily roping in Lyle as wingman on a double date. Lyle follows a punishing fitness regime and slowly inches towards his target. The most perceptive exchanges are between Lyle and Dr Taylor (Robin F. Baker) who slowly teases the truth out of his patient. Is Lyle fulfilled by the weight loss or is it just a façade; a mask for his low self-esteem and insecurity? A quiet dignity remains constant throughout a film that makes its point without ceremony or fanfare. Some heart rending sequences are beautifully played with raw honesty; Lyle plucking up the courage to ask Alessa out and the crushing disappointment when he confused a date with a catch-up are heartbreaking. Stretch Marks is a perceptive title as they are a permanent reminder of the weight lost, but seemingly no guarantee of emotional stability; a salutary reminder to be careful what you wish for. It doesn’t exactly raise the roof but gently lifts the lid on our obsession with body image and desire for social affirmation. John Larkin as Lyle and Robin F. Baker as Dr Taylor are the real stand outs in a cast of solid performers working with a soundly rafted script. Writer and director Gregory Rocco has delivered a watchable but ultimately low key film that could have used more of a flourish.

★★★★ Directed by: Mickey Reece Written by: #MickeyReece Starring #AlexSanchez, #MaryBuss, #CateJones, #MichaeleneStephenson, #MasonGiles Film Review by #JackBottomley Taking its name from #WilliamShakespeare’s Hamlet (Act 3, scene 1) and its “to be or not to be” soliloquy, writer/director Mickey Reece unleashes a hilarious, dark and contemplatory piece in Arrows of Outrageous Fortune. Split into a three act structure and with sly hints and eccentric edges painting a picture of where the divisive last act is heading, this film is a chaotic viewing. Theatrically inclined (obviously, considering its influences), Reece’s film feels confident and contained, with a lampooning of some serious subjects and a real dark comedy edge that reminds of Polanski’s Carnage or, perhaps, an episode of Shearsmith/Pemberton’s Inside No. 9. The plot sees the wealthy George Arrow (#BenHall) reach out to his estranged son Henry (Alex Sanchez) from his death bed in hospital. Begrudgingly Henry goes, if for no other reason, to tell him what a horrid father he has been before he can no longer do so but to his shock, George has left Henry his large home...as well as the rather eccentric individuals that live within it. Naturally madness ensues, as lingering tensions between George’s wife (Henry’s stepmother) Gerlinde (Mary Buss), daughter (Henry’s stepsister) Teresa (Michaelene Stephenson) and George’s lover Evelyn (Cate Jones) begin to implode...with Henry flabbergasted in the middle of it. Reece’s script is sharp and consistently funny, while also approaching some very serious subjects like abortion, death, the fragility of marriage, disability and suicide. The tone balances just right and it helps each character flourish, as they occupy roles that may feel quite familiar to fans of theatre, and it really makes this feel close and personal, almost as if you have been grouped into the dysfunction yourself. The final act developments will undoubtedly work or upend the whole film for you depending on your tastes but the consistent air of anarchy that accompanies certain parts of the film up until this point means that really, despite going a little spontaneously artsy in the final shot, such a crazed turn should come as no surprise. All in all, this film feels like a small tribute to the stage and its heritage and its use of Shakespearean kinds of ruminatory dialogue and themes is entertaining and not at all pretentious. It all works quite nicely all told and the film develops a great deal of its characters well considering the trim running length. Likeable in some ways but lunatics in another, the characters are very entertaining and the cast do some very good work in bringing the energy. Alex Sanchez leads the film well, with a level-headed headliner who often says what he thinks quite openly and his relationship with girlfriend Mimi (a great #KinseyCharles) goes to some wild places. Meanwhile Mary Buss as the heavy accented and frustrated Gerlinde is a joy and practically steals the show, especially in some of her verbal throw downs with the stylish and emotionally unstable Evelyn, who is very well played by Cate Jones. While the practically dazed and in her own world Michaelene Stephenson as Teresa, comes to play one of the most (at heart) honest characters in this game of family, friends and high anxieties. Supporting players Mason Giles, Ben Hall, #JacobSnovel and #DallosPaz leave their mark on the story too. I very much enjoyed watching the film play out and whether it was the confined cinematography work by #SamuelCalvin or Reece’s involving story and focused direction, I felt like I was an extended family member in this household, sat witnessing the disarray, and the experience was interesting, entertaining and bold in places. “Sea of troubles” indeed.

★★ Directed by #nooneinparticular Written by #JoshApplebaum #AndreNemec Starring #BriannaDenski #JenniferGarner #MatthewBroderick #MilaKunis #JohnOliver Film Review by #HopeMadden Credit any film that can tap into the audience’s sense of wonder. Wonder Park is that movie. I wonder why the film was called Wonder Park when the amusement park at the center of the film—and of little June’s imagination—is actually called Wonderland. I wonder who directed the film, because there’s no one listed on imdb or the film’s own credits. I wonder if there was no director at all, and that’s why the first act runs for 35 minutes, dumping us headlong into a second act full of characters we don’t feel connected to, regardless of the fact that they are the talking animals we’ve been trained to love and want to purchase. (Fun fact: Wonder Park may or may not have been directed by David Feiss, who reportedly took over after Dylan Brown was fired over sexual misconduct allegations but is uncredited here. Makes you wonder.) I also wonder how that bear ended up at the top of the roller coaster hill, because there is literally no explanation for it at all and yet it leads to a climactic scene. I wonder if the filmmaker – whoever that might have been – knows that there is no payoff, no matter the visual wonder, if there is no set up. The bear can’t just be at the top of the roller coaster hill. If he can magically wake up there without having to get up there, then he can magically wake up at the bottom, so where’s the fun in that? There’s not a lot of fun in this movie. There is a lot of talent: Jennifer Garner, Mila Kunis, John Oliver, Ken Jeong, Kenan Thompson, Matthew Broderick. And the animation looks good. There is also an admirably nerdy underpinning that encourages kids—girls, in particular—to appreciate the excitingly destructive qualities of math and science. As is often the case with powerful and memorable animated films – Up, Bambi, Dumbo - Wonder Park is also about grief. It’s grief and fear that cause mischievous little genius June (Sofia Malie and Brianna Denski, depending on the age of the character) to lose her spark. With the help of science, math, girl power and imagination, she can face her grief and fear and come out the other side. Wait, is that how it works? No. Math and science can help with a lot of things, but grief is grief and it just needs to be accepted. This trickery to overcome it is a cheat, as is the film’s ending, not to mention that roller coaster bear moment. Good lord, I wonder how this got made.

★★★★ Directed by: Michael Coulombe Written by: #MichaelCoulombe #BrantleyJBrown Starring: #TaylorMurphySinclair Short Film Review by: #ChrisBuick “Act as if yes is the only living thing” The concept of viral content goes right back to the early days of the internet when we all had to deal with those annoying chain emails – you know – pass this on to ten people or something bad will happen to you. While the formats have changed over the years, we still all see or receive countless links to GIFs, memes and clips every day that have been passed around several social media platforms and message boards hundreds of times. And while these links might provide us with a small chuckle, a brief feeling of anger or a quick fright, generally nothing truly horrific happens to us any time we open one of them. However, short film Soundbite from director Michael Coulombe uses this premise to explore what might happen if one of those links we receive contains something more sinister. A woman known as “The Girl” (Taylor Murphy-Sinclair) is settling down in front of her computer. Alone in her dark room, the familiar white glare of a laptop screen illuminates her face until she opens a link, now faced with the image of a skull against a black background grinning right back at her. Intrigued, she dons her headphones and clicks play to watch the clip. The skull begins to pulse on the screen, accompanied by a horrific screeching sound which builds relentlessly in her ears until it entrances her completely. That is when the voices come, and they are not friendly. All the aspects of this #shortfilm seem to blend together brilliantly to really give it a great sense of tension from the start, which only grows throughout. The small, single room setting brings a uneasy feeling of claustrophobia, while the moody lighting of the scene really helps accentuate the dark and sinister tone of the film. All of this is emphasised by a strong performance from Murphy-Sinclair, who manages to fully convey the horrible influence this clip is having on her. Not to mention there is some very apt signage which foreshadows the film’s dramatic conclusion. But as the film’s title might suggest, the clever use of sound is the real standout here, making the movie all that more effective not only with its presence but with its absence as well. Starting with the girl alone in a silent room with only the sound of her fingers tapping on her devices, this near-silence turns out to be key in making the sounds to come much more impactful, which together with the visuals all culminates in causing the viewer to feel very uncomfortable as we watch this girl suffer. Soundbite opts to not rely on traditional horror tropes to scare, but rather brings something a bit creative to the table. The short movie itself might be seen as a cautionary metaphor for the dangers we open ourselves up to every time we connect online and despite only clocking in at just over 4 mins, it keeps you invested right to the end and proves that you can make a real impression with great quality over quantity. Read more #shortfilmreviews

★★★ Directed by: Brent Bentman Written by: #BrentBentman Starring: #ShawnMichaels, #EricRoberts, #AdamHampton, #ThomHallum, #AllieDeBerry, #StevenMichaelQuezada, #DeanCain Indie Film Review by: #HannahSayer When Scott Conway, played by Adam Hampton, returns to his hometown in Texas in Brent Bentman’s latest film 90 Feet From Home, his painful past catches up with him as he confronts his abusive step-father Jimmy Devine, played by WWE wrestler Shawn Michaels. The opening section of 90 Feet From Home follows Scott Conway as a teenager and a promising baseball player. His abusive step-father constantly tries to belittle him and is violent with him. Teachers at school have begun to notice the bruising and other injuries inflicted upon Scott, while it appears that his brother Tommy is his step-father’s favourite. Their mother is trapped within this abusive relationship too and tension reaches boiling point when Scott is prevented from pursuing his dreams as a talented baseball player. He leaves home, and fifteen years passes before he returns. The remainder of the film follows Scott’s return to his home after his mother has passed away and he has had to stop playing Major League Baseball due to injury, as he confronts his abuser and attempts to reconnect with his brother and his hometown. The thrilling question which surrounds the film is whether Scott will find peace by enacting revenge on his step-father. In the early scenes, it takes a while before the acting feels natural. However, as the film progresses the acting develops and becomes more realistic, enabling the development of these characters to become more realised and integral to the plot. Adam Hampton as the older Scott carries the film, along with Thom Hallum as the older Thomas Conway. The #cinematography in 90 Feet From Home reinforces a naturalistic feel and the picturesque Texas landscape highlights the isolating sense that Scott will feel trapped once he returns to his home where the past consumes the present. The long takes used are effective as the camera holds on the characters faces, drawing you in to their conversations with others and makes you feel their reactions. This works best during the intimate conversations captured throughout the film, as the camera frames the participants as if the viewer is prying on what is taking place. The slow and hazy camera movements reinforce the quietness in the film, which juxtaposes the tension, anger and pain bubbling beneath the surface, as Scott has to decide whether revenge is the best way to disconnect himself with his past. The interrogation and climax of the film takes a long time to come around and the pacing does drag at times, however, 90 Feet From Home is a quietly confident film which feels real. Watch the official movie trailer for 90 Feet From Home below.

★★★★★ Directed by: #RidleyScott Written by: #DanOBannon, #RonaldShusett Starring: #SigourneyWeaver, #TomSkerritt, #JohnHurt, #VeronicaCartwright, #HarryDeanStanton, #IanHolm, #YaphetKotto Film Review by: #DarrenTilby ****SPOILER ALERT**** The 1970s were a genre-defining decade for #horror movies. Ground-breaking movies like #TheExorcist, #TheTexasChainsawMassacre, #Halloween, #TheWickerMan and #Suspiria all debuted over the 10-year period and revolutionised the #horror-movie landscape. A new era of gritty, gore-laden slasher-type films had begun replacing the old haunted house movies of the past. The 1970s also saw the emergence of the science-fiction film as a mainstream force; thanks to the successes of the likes of #StarWars and #AClockworkOrange. And it was into this niche, in the last year of the decade, that a relatively unknown Ridley Scott released his now iconic #horror movie, #Alien. #Alien’s story, which was a collaboration between #RonaldShusett and #DanOBannon (O’Bannon penned the original draft which he’d called ‘Star Beast’), sees the crew of the commercial spaceship, Nostromo, discover a parasitic life form after picking up a distress signal from a distant planet. The crew of seven (surely one of the greatest in #horror or sci-fi history?) comprise a mixture of new and established actors of British and American nationality. Tom Skerritt receives top billing as Captain Dallas, and the film wastes no time trying to convince us that he’s our lead character. Of course, it’s newcomer, Sigourney Weaver who eventually takes that position, as warrant officer Ellen Ripley. Easily the strongest and most collected member of the crew, Ripley is a character that works so well because she's genuine; a strong, but not flawless, working woman. Unfortunately, female characters still tend to be either unrealistic cyborg like combatants or victims in need of rescue. We need more overall wearing, blue-collar heroines in movies and it’s more than a little depressing that after 40-years this is still a rarity. Still, Weaver here is pure perfection. Veteran actors, Harry Dean Stanton (Brett), John Hurt (Kane) and Ian Holm (Ash) also star alongside Veronica Cartwright (Lambert) and Yaphet Kotto (Parker) in supporting roles. The first thing to note is the performances, whether they come from the relatively green actors or the more established actors; from a lead role or a supporting role, are brimming with individuality. Each actor and actress in the film has imparted to their role, no matter how big or small a part they play, characteristics that set them apart from everyone else. Then there’s the dialogue – much of which was said to have been improvised by the actors themselves – which is delivered with a naturalistic flourish. Conversations over pay discrepancies and overtime feel instantly familiar and make it all the more easy to empathise with these characters and their situation. And it’s a situation that looks bleak, even before everything kicks off. The battered and bruised, retrofitted Nostromo serves as the movie’s prime location and home to our disparate crew. Built in the image of the power stations of #SouthShields – near to where Scott had grown up – the Nostromo is a lumbering behemoth of industry. Towering jagged spires adorn the exterior, whilst dimly lit corridors and an almost #gothic aesthetic impart a haunted house atmosphere to the ship’s well-worn interiors. It was the perfect contrast to the sleek and polished look of other sci-fi films of the time. The desolate and gloomy ambience is continued in the film’s stunning, albeit rare, exterior shots on the now infamous planet of LV-426, and have helped inspire the visuals of films like #EventHorizon, #TheTerminator, and of course, Scott’s own 1982 classic, #BladeRunner. It’s no surprise then that Ridley Scott is now considered one of the greatest visionary directors of our time––and rightly so. He’s a world builder. One of the best in the business. And with #Alien, he was able to toe the line between the old dark house-type horror films of the past and the newer, grittier #horrors which had just recently sprung up; filling a cinematic void and revolutionising the science-fiction genre in the process. He was able to do this, principally, using extraordinary set design and lighting techniques. It has been said that Ridley Scott approaches filmmaking like you might approach art. It’s certainly true that he did his own storyboards (called 'Ridleygrams', which also detailed the lighting of the scene) and at least had a hand in designing the film’s 360° sets. This level of set design allowed Scott to play psychological tricks on his cast and also affect the atmosphere of the film. By gradually moving the walls of the set closer together as filming progressed, Scott was able to create a feeling of increasing claustrophobia which never lets up, for the audience or the cast. Moreover, using 360° sets allowed him to manipulate what the audience saw and what they didn’t. With this, he was able to transition between #horror and science-fiction and between gore and inference. #Alien is pure #bodyhorror, through and through. And perhaps surprisingly, the film contains themes of a sexual nature. But actually, much of H.R. Giger’s original artwork (Giger was a Swiss artist whose works inspired the creature and set-piece design for the movie) is also adorned with phallic and vaginal symbolism. The biomechanical design and sexual connotations conjure unpleasant images in the mind: images of flesh and metal entwined; of THAT scene in #DemonSeed. And ultimately, it’s this sense of sexual violation that’s felt most strongly here. The alien’s entire lifecycle seems to be some twisted and horrific representation of motherhood: from the forced impregnation by the facehugger to the creature eventually birthing itself through its host’s chest. Even Lambert’s death towards the end of the movie seems to be an allegory for rape. An interesting case in point: #MaryShelley’s #Frankenstein is (arguably) the first work of science-fiction and/or #bodyhorror to have been produced. Many subsequent works – both films and novels – owe a great debt to Shelley’s avant-garde piece––#Alien included. #Frankenstein’s ghastly and distorted portrayal of creation is the very basis of #Alien. In fact, it’s a subject Scott would later re-visit and mirror more closely in his less well-received prequels, #Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, with the introduction of the android, David (#MichaelFassbender). It’s quite amazing that – in a decade which was such a game changer for the #horrormovie genre – #Alien has not only survived in people’s memories but that it also remains one of the standout movies of the last 40-years. I recently had the good fortune of being able to go see #Alien at my local cinema, where it was showing for one night as part of its #40thanniversary re-release. It struck me how good it still looks, how atmospheric the score still is and just how well it works as a #horrormovie experience overall: it still has the ability to make you jump, it’s still able to make you feel queasy, and there are some moments which are still bloody hard to watch. Kane’s death scene, for instance, is just as shocking and brutal as it was 40-years ago; and the sequence in which Captain Dallas hunts the creature in the air ducts retains the ability to shred nerves, even now. For me, #Alien is about as perfect as it’s possible for a film to be. The fact that it’s still able to solicit very visceral reactions from an audience so many years later is a testament to how well put-together the film is. The alien is now one of the most recognisable creatures in cinematic history and the #Alien franchise, one of the most popular. And in my humble opinion (humble here meaning omniscient), #Alien is and forever will be, one of the greatest #horror films ever made.

★★★ Directed by: Nicholas Goodwin Written by: #NicholasGoodwin Starring: #ChristinaGoursky, #TimothyJCox, #JamesJelkin, and #TheaMccartan Short Film Review by: #RachelPullen Short film Beauty Queen, from filmmaker Nicholas Goodwin, tells the tale of a young woman on the verge of adulthood. She has just been accepted into an excellent college, independence looms, she is academically validated, shit’s going well for her and yet she feels something is missing. She does not feel...pretty. We can’t lie, all women want to feel validated by their appearance, no matter how much you try to rise above it (ladies you know it’s true), and why shouldn’t you? Modern society throws unattainable beauty standards out into mass media every day, we are bombarded with overly edited images of beautiful women. Even in day to day life people edit and filter their photos before putting them on to social media, we are all sucked into the vortex of lies, maybe eat the lipstick and get pretty on the inside. Beauty Queen’s leading lady decided to fall deep into that smelly bleak vortex, shuffling around in the dark like a mole as she tries to feel good about herself; trips to modelling agencies, shoots with seedy man-bun wearing photographers do nothing but make her feel more and more alone and worthless. But who should come to the rescue? Who in the eyes of society can make a young woman feel good about herself...R. Kelly? NO, it’s daddy, that’s who, ergh yeah this bit cringed me out but I have to remind myself that some people actually have healthy relationships with their families and can feel good about themselves and have sincere conversations with their fathers without someone being beaten with an oven mitt. This plays out on the screen before us, in a dimly lit room, with just the fireplace for lighting and sound, making for an atmospheric and warming scene, creating just enough sentiment to feel a connection. Daddy makes everything better without it being too creepy, ...again I have poor family relationships, it’s all borderline creepy to me. Director Nicholas Goodwin is kinda the boss of setting up some awesome shots, this short film looks all smooth, like the chocolate on a Kinder Egg, the colours are inviting and warm, aesthetically this a well shot and edited piece of #filmmaking. Each actor brings a lot to the role, each displaying talent that surpasses a lot of short indie flicks I have seen. Casting was well thought out in regards to the leading actress’ looks; she is pretty in an everyday way, not model material but not ugly, and that’s the point, she can’t see it for herself because the comparison of yourself to women in the media will lead you astray, this choice made for a much more realistic, and I’m sure for many, relatable feel throughout. I also have a crush on the dad, I liked his tucked in checked shirt and high waisted pants...a sexy combo on any middle aged man in my mind. Beauty Queen as a #shortfilm provides an interesting approach to the subject of modern beauty and society’s perception of it, an enjoyable and heartwarming watch, and although a little cliché at times [not all photographers want to get you naked in a dark and dingy back room studio] it still packs a punch in regards to getting its point across.

★★★ Directed by: #PWilliamGrimm Written by: #PWilliamGrimm Starring: #IanButton (narrator) Film Review by: #DarrenTilby Born in Hendon, 1909, to Colin and Ida Hession. Brian’s childhood, at least, was less than remarkable. But by his untimely death in 1961, Hession would go on to work on several Hollywood productions, butt heads with the Archbishop of Canterbury, and become a trailblazer for #cancerawareness. So why has this impressive legacy largely faded into obscurity? Well, that’s the monumental task facing film-maker, P. William Grimm. In The Reverend’s Secret Mission, Grimm examines (seemingly) every facet of Rev. Brian Hession’s life. From his rebellious youth spent at #Christian camp, to becoming a member of the clergy with a keen interest in cinema, to his work on Hollywood productions: Hession's life was anything but ordinary. It’s also clear Grimm has put a lot of time and energy into sourcing the material needed to make this #documentary; much of which are faded photographs, old film reel and tattered communications. And to his credit, this is – for the better part – a well put-together film. But while the film is certainly informative, I do wonder whether it’s a little too long. The sheer number of names recalled throughout the #documentary, people who had impacted on Rev. Hession in one way or another, or had dealings with him, can seem somewhat overwhelming. At several points during the film, I had to pause it to take in all the names and places or think whether I’d heard that name before. I can understand why the director wanted to be as thorough as possible here, but it was a little jarring here and there. I feel on repeat viewings, this probably wouldn’t be such a problem. And indeed, this is a film which would benefit from multiple viewings. But at over 2-hours long, that’s a big ask. There are a plethora of interviewees (17 in all) and masses of correspondence and newspaper cuttings, also. And whilst both contribute well to the overall feel of the film, there are issues to be found: some of the voice acting works (which are vocalised excerpts of the correspondence) can seem a little forced and poorly read at times and the interview sections seem occasionally poorly lit, revealing the low quality of the camera used. For the better part though, these problems can be ignored and don’t really have much impact on the film as a whole. The biggest problem, however, is the slide-away editing during the interviews. It’s a really odd ‘fade out of interview’ choice anyway. But it doesn’t just occur once a person has finished talking. Instead, it insists on sliding away after every other sentence. Sometimes, whilst people are still talking. It’s messy, incoherent, unnecessary and really off-putting, and is my biggest gripe with the film. Now, with all that said, there is an awful lot I liked about the film too. The narration from Ian Button is sublime, as are the writing and presentation of information and important life events. There are some superb #animated sequences (from Emily Timm) during the film and incredibly effective soundtrack. My favourite moment, however, is the old footage of one of Rev. Hession's services, which he had recorded and put together himself. Filmed during #WorldWar2, Hession lingers on the bedraggled faces of his congregation. The effects of war are apparent, and the film is utterly moving; it's easy to imagine that Hession would have made quite the film-maker had he been allowed. But it's his work on #cancerawareness that I believe is his greatest legacy. Well ahead of his time, Hession published brochures on recognising the signs of #cancer, hosted meetings for #cancer sufferers/survivors and even published books on the matter. All whilst suffering from #cancer himself. Rev. Brian Hession was quite an incredible person: a religious man, a filmmaker, and a campaigner. So why then, is he not more well-known? To put it simply, he was too ahead of his time. Hession faced opposition from almost every direction during his life; whether from the church or from film producers or from doctors. And yet he fought on. Indeed, he himself said it best when he wrote 'Whatever our problems in life—don’t let them lick you.’ By bringing his story to the fore, Grimm is honouring Rev. Hession's legacy in the only way we're now able. And, in spite of its issues, The Reverend's Secret Mission is a thoroughly enjoyable and affecting piece of film-making that had me welling up more times than I care to admit.

★★★★★ Directed by: #MattWhistler Short Film Review by guest critic: Naomi Foyle Where do you go you after you’ve gone viral? In Matt Whistler’s case, on the prowl. In 2010 a video of the comedian venturing out, on the night of the heaviest UK snowfall on record, to sled on a tea tray down Brighton’s steepest street dressed in nothing but a silver trilby, was watched by over twenty thousand viewers. That same year, chicken dancing through Brighton in a Santa hat, Ann Summers seasonal lingerie set and smeared lipstick, Whistler propelled the hit single ‘Surfin’ Bird’ to nearly half a million hits and Number Three in the Christmas charts – achieving cult status when his achievement spawned flash mobs and a tribute video from the RSPB. Having experienced a career high that might have left others desperate to reduplicate their winning formula, Matt – a man of many hats - turned his back on that creative brick wall and chose instead to explore the other intriguing alleyways of his abundant talents. Over the last nine years Whistler has made digital art, exhibiting his work in New York’s Robot Hotel, and – still channelling fellow Liverpudlian Ken Dodd, but leaving his fluffy red bra in his tickle stick trunk – has continued to hone his absurdist brand of verbal and visual comedy in increasingly subtle and sophisticated street performances and films. The latest result is the semi-autobiopic Matt Cat Pratt (2018), a ten-minute film in which a bemused (and deceptively hatless) Matt Whistler thoughtfully reflects on how his burgeoning global career was diverted by a friendship with a local man trapped in the body of a cat. The BAFTA Hole in the Road premiere, a screening now available on YouTube, opens with a twenty-first century clown show: host Yulia Romanova ‘interviewing’ a ten-foot tall image of Whistler self-admittedly ‘extrapolating the urine’. But art, said Picasso, is a lie that makes us realise the truth, and, as it unsheathes its pinprick claws, this batty self-satire does more than scratch the surface of our times, etching the viewer’s mind with questions concerning the nature of fame, freedom and our shared uncertain future. A talking head in a shiny blue smoking jacket, ‘live from Los Angeles’ and fresh from art-pranking #Cannes, Whistler here is every inch the jaded Hollywood veteran. His alter-ego Matt Cat Pratt, in contrast, roams wild in an innocent eternal playground. Rejecting sexual fetishization by ‘Furries’, the catman finds joy in his revels in the streets, and as he zooms through town on an electric scooter the film becomes another of Whistler’s cinematic tributes to the vibrant eccentricity of his adopted Brighton: a place which, despite increasing gentrification, is still, thanks to its two universities and famous fringe festival, a Mecca for artists and musicians. There’s sly humour in this incongruous contrast of personas, but good comedy also tweaks anxious nerves – we laugh at a man prancing the streets in women’s lingerie because his ridiculous display breaks multiple taboos around nudity and gender - and scenes of the catman dumpster diving, or disappearing into graffiti-based digital artworks, provoke not just giggles, but niggling fears about the future. As the streets of our cities fill with homeless people, and robotization threatens more and more jobs, who’s to say where our ‘transhuman’ future will plunge us: into skips, scrounging for food, like the people of oil-rich Venezuela, or into the entirely pixelated existence of screenlife? And what are appropriate responses to the stark choices global inequality thrusts upon us? Happily, the streets of Brighton are also known for being often filled with demonstrations, collective rejections of injustice and inaction, but the feral charm of Matt Cat Pratt is a reminder that cultural resistance to mass media-induced conformity should always make room for individual escapades, laughter, the off-beat and im-purrfect. If it doesn’t, we won’t build a new world worth its whiskers. Naomi Foyle is the author of the eco-science fantasy quartet The Gaia Chronicles and a member of Extinction Rebellion Brighton. Find her on Facebook, @naomifoyle and www.naomifoyle.com.

★★★★ Directed by: #CarlMason Starring: #CharlotteBeaumont, #SebastianPeters Short Film Review by: #AnitaMarkoff Everything that you could desire from a short film was present in Revival. Inspired partly by A Quiet Place, Krasinski’s incredibly moving 2018 #horror film, this was set in a post-apocalyptic world where music appears to be dangerous. The plot follows a common trajectory; Survivor A (Alex) finds Survivor B (Jordan) and they realise that only by banding together can they hope to defeat the outside forces that are overwhelming them. However, this short film manages to keep the portrayal fresh and poignant. A frequent use of facial close ups show us how the characters are feeling, and there is little need for dialogue when the humanity they bring out in each other is so visible in small expressions: the nod of a head, eyes wide looking far away into a distant past, and then meeting the other’s gaze, a slow smile. The lighting scheme and colour palette is visually stunning. A melancholy vivid blue light is visually associated with the main character, a glow emanating from her tent in the night as she stares at the guitar she is too afraid to play, and surrounding her as she cautiously enters the shelter Jordan is hiding in. Colour contrast is used to full effect as the flickering orange fire, warm hues of the guitars and vibrant red clothing worn by Jordan stand out against the blue. The chase scene in the woods is a technical masterpiece, as the camera keeps the main subject strongly in focus even in moments requiring a lot of movement, and maintains a cinematic depth of field. The tracking shots are steady, as the director uses a variety of angles to convey the frantic energy of the characters rather than a shaky camera. This adds to the professional feel of the film. The crew also doesn’t make the mistake of showing a monster they don’t have the budget to create visually, but instead cut away and back to flashback scenes at the appropriate moment when characters are being killed, or use sound effects to insinuate a threat is in the area. The theme of sound and its importance to both characters is highlighted throughout the film by close ups on objects like guitars and iPods. The final scene where the two girls finally stop running and choose to overcome their fear of the monsters through making music is heart-warming. You can see the outside world melt away for them as they get wrapped up in the song; Jordan on the drums intense and focused, Alex on the guitar glancing up at her newfound friend and grinning. The end is ambiguous, but the upbeat song lingers in your mind afterwards, a reminder that listening to music and making art of our own can help all of us in defeating our non-apocalyptic fears.

★★★★ Directed by: Cameron Currin Written by: #CameronCurrin Starring: #PaulVanDyke, #AliciaCurrin Short Film Review by: #ChrisOlson Filmed on location in Alaska, short film Kushtaka from filmmaker Cameron Currin is an atmospheric and compelling #horror #thriller that plays heavily with the traditional ghost story structure. Paul VanDyke plays a prospector who's hoping to find gold amongst the dirt of the Alaskan wilds. His isolation and seemingly fruitless labours, however, are the least of his problems. Will he be able to escape the frontier and the clutches of a sharply clawed woman (Alicia Currin)? Stories and movies involving the American wild west and frontier have long had a cemented place in cinematic endeavour, as well as literature and television. Kushtaka is loosely based on a book by Harry Colp called The Strangest Story Ever Told, which describes “devil creatures” residing in a small village in Alaska after a landslide killed over 500 natives. Lending itself this degree of fable and authenticity, Cameron Currin is able to immerse his audience into a ferocious narrative that is as thrilling as it is chilling. VanDyke is a brilliant on screen presence. With very little dialogue and no co stars to really bounce off, he provides a terrific physical portrayal of the lone prospector braving the elements as well as the risk of the psychological distress which can come with large amounts of time spent alone. This balance between real and imaginary demons in the wild is something which makes many classic stories engaging and it's definitely true about Kushtaka. The #cinematography (also Cameron Currin) was gorgeous at times. His use of the natural landscape was awe-inspiring as well as being formidably terrifying. Choosing to have the short film in #blackandwhite was also an effective decision. It was a shame to see the atmosphere spoiled when a pair of clawed hands were stuck to the side of the camera and chased VanDyke through the woods like a spoof of itself. The menace suddenly felt tangibly amatuer and silly. The hysteria of the scene, however, did lend an increased pacing which allowed the short to reach a fairly satisfying climax. By embracing themes of greed, isolation, and ignorance through its central character, a greater depth is given to the story of Kushtaka. His increasingly disturbing experience of the Alaskan wilderness is symptomatic of his lack of respect. A cautionary tale, then, for people or peoples who don't fully appreciate the exploratory endeavours they embark on and the societies that let them happen regardless of their history or consequences. Watch the official movie trailer below.