★★ · Directed by #AndrewJDRobinson · Written by #AndrewJDRobinson · Starring: #GabrielleBanville, #TristanMcIntosh and #MaissaHouriCharron · Film Review by: #AnnieVincent Billed as a horror short, #TheBeckyCarmichaelFanClub depicts a terrifying encounter for child music star Becky, now living in obscurity, when a man kidnaps her as part of a sexual fantasy role play arrangement that he believes they agreed upon together online. With her brother on hand to help, Becky realises that someone, maybe several people, are posing as her online and that there are several groups dedicated to her. She turns to an online support forum, posing as Michelle, and meets Amber, someone who seems to identify with how she is feeling and offers help, but when Becky realises that Amber knows her brother Jessie and her real name, things take a very strange turn again. The basic premise of this short film is fine and it is easy to see that discovering you are the subject of fan groups, whether on porn sites or social media ones, is creepy and suitable fodder for a horror film. Sadly, it isn’t delivered well here and perhaps this is because the film’s intention seems muddled. The opening montage of the film is promising, with all the hallmarks of a decent, secret family history horror. The film is shot in black and white initially. White noise and the voiceover of an argument, piercing screeches and haunting humming preface the action – so far, so good. Becky collects her brother Jessie from the airport; it becomes clear their parents were alcoholics and are no longer around and that they themselves have been estranged. There are clearly secrets and unfinished business here - again, all good. But Becky is also revealed to be a child singing star, now out of the limelight and wishing she were more and this subplot ends up dominating in places. When they take a drive to visit their old house – now boarded up and the quintessential horror house where awful things may have taken place – we think we have the exposition wound up. All we need now is some conflict, an event which will frighten Becky, Jessie and us and which will uncover all of their past secrets, but we get none of that. Becky goes off on a walk and discovers some happiness in her music. The plot veers off like this on a couple of occasions as over-long montages are cut together and whilst the editing is sound and the composition even beautiful at times, it is gratuitous and adds little to our understanding of character. It certainly doesn’t drive the plot. The kidnapping incident, the most intense moment of the film, becomes a side-show: odd considering nothing else in the film is as dramatic or terrifying and as the film continues the tension completely dissolves and very few ends are tied up. We have no idea why this brother and sister fell out; no idea about the impact of their parents’ alcoholism on them; no real idea why Jessie does what he does and no idea where this is going next. It leaves its audience empty and longing for a re-write. Technically, this film is good: the editing, sound and even the choice of colour is thoughtful and impactful in places, but the script has little direction and this, sadly, is likely to bar it from garnering much of a fan base.

★★★ Directed by #AnnaBoden and #RyanFleck Written by #AnnaBoden #RyanFleck #GenevaRobertsonDworet Starring #BrieLarson #SamuelLJackson #BenMendelsohn #JudeLaw #AnnetteBening Film Review by: #BradyClark You can’t help but smile as Brie Larson launches her enemies around the room to the sound of No Doubt’s Just a Girl, finding her feet as the titular hero, Captain Marvel. It is a moment that defines the movie – a true turning point and a crucial demonstration of the potential of this character. Larson’s hero, Vers, begins the film a Kree soldier in a war between her people and the fearsome Skrull. But visions of another life on Planet C-53 (Earth) plague her mind and an unintended confrontation with Skrull leader Talos (Mendelsohn) may give her answers. The MCU’s twenty-first entry and first solo outing for a female lead isn’t the strongest in the franchise, nor is it the weakest, but lands itself somewhere in the Doctor Strange middle, settling for an enjoyable, if not messy, origins story. Captain Marvel has a number of crossover elements with Guardians of the Galaxy but doesn’t manage the same level of charm that James Gunn’s band of misfits brought to a universe-travelling adventure. The first hour is complex, messing with the natural structure of a superhero film, seemingly for the purpose of disorientation. It works a little too well – despite the fresh approach, there is a lack of an understandable narrative, misguided particularly when it comes to the motivations and confusion of Vers as she tries to reconcile her two lives. However, most of this is forgiven as your toe taps along to the impeccably fitting 90s soundtrack, No Doubt joined by Nirvana, TLC and R.E.M.! The second half of the film is far stronger. Once Captain Marvel finds its footing and allows Larson to have a bit more fun, we see her composure as a leading lady. Cool and collected is the way. The supporting cast shines just as bright – Jackson (flawlessly de-aged) as Nick Fury is perhaps the most watchable he has ever been and that is saying something. He bounces off Larson well and, though the humour isn’t quite to the standard we’ve come to expect from most #MCU films, the relationship is certainly endearing. Ben Mendelsohn, Annette Bening and Jude Law are all excellent additions to Marvel also – hopefully the universe isn’t finished with them anytime soon. Too much confusion, an array of plot holes, gaps and convenient storytelling refute Captain Marvel from being a truly great film like Winter Soldier or Infinity War, and you can’t help but walk out of the theatre feeling it is all a bit of a necessary sit-through ready for 26th April (an enjoyable sit-through nonetheless). But the (albeit predictable) mid-credits scene amplifies the unashamed excitement for Avengers: Endgame ten-fold. It’s going to be big! Watch the movie trailer below.

★★★★ Directed by: #GillianGreene Written by: #ChesterHastings, #RDeanMcCreary, Gillian Greene Starring: #FranKranz, #JedRees, #JKSimmons, #MattLanter, #SamRaimi, #EmilyArlook, #ReggieLee, #DileepRao, #KharyPayton, #IanBohen Short Film Review by: #ChrisOlson The romantic vision of #Hollywood being a land of milk and honey for actors has long since been debunked. Too many stories, fictional and real, have emerged about the tragically astounding odds stacked against performers actually landing significant roles and careers simply by lugging their butts to La La Land. This doesn't seem to bother the numerous #filmmakers still yearning to depict the acting equivalent of the American Dream in all its flaws and glories, not to mention the huge audiences that still gobble this stuff up (see the success of The Disaster Artist). Short film Fanboy, from director Gillian Greene, takes a conventional yet cinematically impressive look at this classic story of a guy from the sticks trying to make it in Hollywood. Fran Kranz plays the aforementioned hopeful, Jeremiah, who ups and leaves his video store job, flogs all his valuable movie merch for a plane ticket, and travels to Hollywood in the hope of landing an audition and/or role in the new Sam Raimi movie. What Jeremiah discovers when he is there is that dreams only get made when the stars align, literally. Devoid of clunky egotism and regularly funny, Fanboy has the ability to combine naivety with cynicism without the whole thing feeling sluggish. In fact, there is a lightness to the movie that comes from the slick #cinematography and editing (Christophe Lanzenberg and Mu Sun respectively) as well as a chipper array of songs that accompany many of the scenes. As with any story about acting in Hollywood, you need celebrity cameos! And with Fanboy, you get a terrific selection given this is a short film. J. K. Simmons rocks up at one point, as does Sam Raimi himself. Not to mention David Paymer as an angry ice cream customer whose scene with Kranz is one of the best in the film. The whole experience of these starry tidbits felt like a lot of favours were called in but did certainly add an air of whimsical fantasy to the story which was perfectly complementary to the plot and Jeremiah's journey. Where the storyline fell a little flat is in Jeremiah's motivation. He seems to go big and bold for an acting role without too much explanation or background. He doesn't mention wanting to act earlier in the movie and seems more eager to impress his attractive coworker Tracy (Emily Arlook) than engage with any serious thespian leanings. His impassioned speeches later in the film would have felt more authentic had there been any kind of struggling artist history mentioned previously. All that being said, this is a fun film and one with plenty to enjoy cinematically. There are some funny scenes and banter (in particular from Reggie Lee and Jed Rees) and the high production values offer a nice injection of escapism to go along with the easygoing nature of the storyline. Go in expecting something like Hail, Caesar meets Midnight Cowboy meets The Disaster Artist and you are somewhere (probably not really) in the right ballpark. Watch the official short film trailer for Fanboy below.

★★ Directed by: #DopFumiGomez Written by: Juan Echenique Starring: #KheiraBey, #JuanEchenique Short Film Review by: #AlexandraJames This short movie follow the volatile relationship between father and daughter and the struggles between taking responsibility for your own actions and chasing your dreams. Needless to say the father figure, played by Juan Echenique, follows the latter and the piece highlights the daughters rage, pain and outright resentment towards him and his so called dreams. The first comment to make on Father would be on the acting style, it was evident that this was lacking in a lot of areas and seemed rather rigid throughout. Both characters’ speech didn’t seem to flow and had an almost mechanical feel which can make it difficult for the audience to connect with either of them. However, it can be argued that this rigid appearance represents the relationship between the characters. The uncomfortable, awkward speech and movement merely feeds into this concept that the two characters have no real relationship. Both father and daughter seem almost like strangers to each other and a complete absence of sentiment arises. Nevertheless, the film could have created a smoother acting style even if this means creating a more anger fuelled scene between the two, this would allow the audience to truly see the pain of the daughter and convey the distance of their relationship. The colours throughout were vivid and bright and can easily captivate and audience from the offset. It was interesting to see the costume designs between father and daughter, the contrast between the two was distinct and represented the conflicting personalities of the characters. Stripes and cheques, two clear patterns that will never connect in any shape or form and perhaps mimics the conditions which surround the pair. Clearly showing their family unit as distorted and secluded with no prospect of unity. The piece is restricted to one location being the kitchen, which can be seen as very limited and monotonous. However, having both father and daughter confined to such a small space makes for a perfect stage for the two to openly portray their grievances and anger. However, with the lack of locations there was a limited amount of shots used as well. The audience can almost feel very restrained and with this can lose interest quite quickly. Overall, Father is a great reflection of damaged or distant relationships within the family unit. However, with stronger characters perhaps the film would have been able to go into real depth and explore the central theme of the piece in a much more exciting way.

★★★ Directed by #LeeCronin Written by #LeeCronin Starring #SeánaKerslake #JamesQuinnMarkey Film Review by #HopeMadden About a month ago the film The Prodigy came out, and promptly disappeared. Lee Cronin’s Irish horror The Hole in the Ground treads similar territory: a mother looks at her young son and wonders with terror who it is she sees. Where Prodigy took the path most ludicrous, Cronin mines a parent’s disappointment, grief, loneliness and alienation for more poignant results. Sara (Seána Kerslake), along with her bib overalls and young son Chris (James Quinn Markey), are finding it a little tough to settle into their new home in a very rural town. Chris misses his dad. Sara is having some life-at-the-crossroads anxiety. Then a creepy neighbor, a massive sink hole (looks a bit like the sarlacc pit) and Ireland’s incredibly creepy folk music get inside her head and things really fall apart. I grew up listening to nothing but Irish music. If you don’t think it’s creepy, you aren’t listening properly. In execution, The Hole in the Ground is less The Prodigy and more of a cross between the masterpiece of maternal grief, The Babadook, and another Irish horror of changelings and woodland spirits, The Hallow. (Plus a surprise third act inspiration I won't mention for fear of spoilers.) You look at your child one day and don’t recognize him or her. It’s a natural internal tension and a scab horror movies like to pick. Kids go through phases, your anxiety is reflected in their behavior, and suddenly you don’t really like what you see. You miss the cuter, littler version. Or in this case, you fear that inside your beautiful, sweet son lurks the same abusive monster as his father. Cronin's subtext never threatens his story, but instead informs the dread and guilt that pervade every scene. Performances are quite solid and the way folklore - in tale and in song - is woven through the story creates a hypnotic effect. If you're a horror fan looking to celebrate the season, here's a more authentic way to do it than watching Leprechaun for the 15th time.

★★★★★ Directed by: #JonasAskerlund Written by: #JonasAskerlund #DennisMagnusson Starring: #RoryCulkin #EmoryCohen #JackKilmer Film Review by: #RachelPullen [Play Mayhem really loud in a dark room with a cape, or towel over your head while you read this for the full black metal effect] Remember the 80’s, I don’t really because my mother had not birthed me into the world until the later part and so I was all small and stuff, but thanks to the internet I know it mainly involved bad hair, Walkmans and some kick ass #horror flicks. But way away, far across some of the globe, there is a little country called Norway, a place that has the highest concentration of fjords, the world’s longest road tunnel, where the paper clip was invented and was awarded happiest place in the world in 2017, and while this all seems pretty chill and innocent, Norway in the 80’s was a different tale, well for the teens anyway. Ergh being a teenager was lame and awesome all at the same time, you could eat more and not gain weight, you didn’t have to pay council tax, you could try and finger bang everyone and not feel like a pervert and sometimes just sometimes, you got involved in the black metal scene and started burning a bunch of churches and stabbing people...oh wait no, you didn’t do that? Must have just been the dark circle of Euonymus and his friends in little old Oslo. So before we get into chatting film I’m gonna lay down a little background info on the black metal scene in Norway and the crimes that unfolded during this time, because I fucking love this stuff and am always looking for a platform to make you poor people hear my brain thoughts, Norwegian black metal is kind of my obsession, that and boobs, get ready for your free history/music lesson, but no boobs, this film lacked an abundance of boobs, I could deduct stars but no, I’m somewhat of a professional. So back in the 80’s a bunch of sexy teens grew long black hair and started a band called Mayhem, this consisted of the members Euronymous, Necrobutcher and drummer Kjetil Manheim, and they smashed there instruments so hard core that they invented a sound called black metal, following on from this they painted their faces to look like corpses, had crazy stage shows involving self harm and pigs heads in generally caused a lot of trouble around town...the scamps. As well as that Euronymous, who was the ringleader of the whole situation, owned a record store called ‘’Hell’’ [sigh...nerd] where all the cool kids [probably nerds] hung out and the posers were sent packing, and to add to Euro’s [ I’m gonna call him Euro cos it takes ages to type his long ass name] cool points he also had a record label too, where he decided to release an album by another long haired metal dude called Varg. Now to not drone on for too long because I really should talk about the film, the whole thing becomes a pissing contest, each trying to out ‘’black metal’’ the other by doing evil things, Varg burns a church down, so then the others do it too, when the singer of Mayhem blows his head off, Euro takes photos and collects bits of the skull to make necklaces from, one of them [Faust] stabs a guy to death in the woods in a homosexual hate crime, more churches get burnt down and finally it all climaxes in the murder of Euronymous by Varg himself, oh yeah and they made some kick ass metal music which you can play at any occasion, parties, weddings, when you lose your virginity, you choose...got that, good, now we can move on. Lords of Chaos covers just this, the story that orchestrated the reasons behind the murder of Euronymous, [played amazingly well by Rory Culkin, my fav of the Culkin brothers] how this contest to be the most black metal of the gang got insanely out of hand, from the birth of Mayhem, to his death at the hands of someone he thought was a friend, Euro tells his tale of the grim and bleak world of metal, mayhem and Norway in the 80’s. So as I said, Euro forms his band Mayhem and they hire a beautiful blonde baby man to sing for them, he goes by the name Dead [bet he gets all the ladies with a conversation started such as that] and the band move into an old house to work full time on their music which Euro has termed ‘’black metal’’, I wonder if they created a chore wheel for the house, but in the shape of a pentagram, you know for lol’s. Actor Jack Kilmer’s portrayal of Dead is flawless, he embodies the disconnection from reality that someone suffering from depression would feel, you sense him slipping deeper and deeper into his own hell, but at the same time still trying to reach out for help with his actions on stage, Kilmer shows both sides of the emotional struggle with a grace and crushing sadness in his eyes. Instantly we can sense a real connection between Euro and Dead, not a lot is said on screen to guide us to this conclusion, they don’t watch chick flicks, paint their nails and talk about their feelings or anything but the moments they share they display a real depth, Dead, who is struggling with a deep depression seems to confide in his own way Euro, when he self harms on stage, it’s Euro who addresses Dead on a personal level, asking if he is ‘’ok’’, a small gesture but it’s a hell of a lot more than anyone else does, they simply see it as an act, a part of his metal persona. In a sense they both suffer in silence, Euro cannot step up and voice his concerns about Dead, he must maintain his attitude of not giving a fuck about anything or anyone and as for Dead, he is simply trapped in a world where he antics go unnoticed and are even applauded and his depression is just seen as a really good gimmick, something that makes for great PR in regards to the bands reputation, already the concept of being ‘’black metal’’ is taking its toll. Sadly Dead blows his brains out in a scene that can only be described as painfully realistic, certain scenes in films have been imprinted into my mind simply because they display such realism, such core human emotions that you cannot separate fiction from fact, the scene in Chumbscrubber where Dean trashes his room after finally accepting his friends suicide, the horrific rape scene in Megan is missing or when Michael Fassbender cries in a crowded bar watching his sister sing a Frank Sinatra song in Shame...and now to add to the list, Dead committing suicide in Lords of Chaos. Legend has it that Euro, who found Dead, didn’t think to do anything but take a photograph of his dead friend on discovering the body, as well as keep parts of his skull and eat some of his brain, and while we know the photography to be true because they became the front cover of Mayhem’s next album, the brain eating and skull fragments remain simply part of the legend, as well as that we will never truly know the emotional response that Euro showed at the suicide of his friend. This scene is made even more moving by the attention to detail employed by the director, clothing and positioning of Dead is taken directly from the photographs of the actual suicide, a bold and important move, one which allows us black metal know it all’s to really applaud the film as well as giving those new to the tale a real shock when they Google the image for themselves later. With Dead...well dead, we move into what I like to think of as the second part of the film, the first is Euro playing the strong dictating and controlling leader, the true and most evil of the black metal circle, and the second part is his fall from grace, as the one and only Varg Vikernes steps up to centre stage. Instant problem...the actor, Emory Cohen, who plays Varg, while delivering an excellent portrayal looks little like the real life Varg, he is far more heavy set and stocky than Varg was during this time, and while this seems silly, it’s hard to believe him within the role when all you can think is ‘’fat Varg, fat Varg, fat Varg!!!’’ these men where slender, waify looking fella’s with long and beautiful hair [ how did they have such amazing hair in the 80’s?] and Cohen looks like he has been at the gym bench pressing mega weights all weekend, Varg had no time for that! He had to paint his fingernails black and set fire to churches... maybe he should of hit the gym, would of kept him out of trouble, or maybe his cape would of got snagged on the equipment, #black metal problems. Varg quickly up’s the stakes in the scene, burning churches, creating some truly bleak music all by is lonesome, fucking loads of bitches, hiding the T.V remote, in general being a total metal menace! putting poor old Euro to shame, making people question his dedication to the black circle, was Varg overthrowing the black metal king? Maybe, maybe not but he sure as hell wanted to take the movement further, even going to the press about the church burnings, fame became very real for Varg, but put the rest of the clan in jeopardy. We sense the ever growing tension throughout the film, sly glances, the challenging attitudes both display, this is developed over the course of the movie, but never said out loud until it’s too late, playing with the audience, making us choose sides. Euronymous, sensing a war was coming packs up all the evil from his record store, cuts off his hair [the main source of his evil] signs all the rights to Varg’s music back to him from his record label, again another source of his evil, and retires to his home away from the city, but Varg, who clearly does not get a what a nice gesture is, decided that this contract, returning his music to him, is some kind of threat and drives out to Euros home, ending his life with a fatal stab would direct to the skull...that probably was where a lot of the evil was kept too. The second half is more than just a fall from grace on Euronymous part, it shows how much of a show he put on and how much Varg believed the hype, for all along, even at the start when he influenced Dead and began the movement, Euronymous never really did anything wrong, he actually stabilised the situation a lot, he had a head for business and marketing and saw a way for them to make money, to make a name for themselves, to get their band famous, and all the talk about burning churches and murder was just that...talk, all the themes of death and destruction was just that...a theme. The film focuses at this time on Euro standing in the background, watching the chaos around him, this is displayed in scenes where at church burnings he stands alone as Varg lights yet another match, we feel his disconnection to the movement growing stronger and stronger. Lords of Chaos is not just the tale of the black metal scene but a study of what influence and peer pressure can do, the tale of a man who was all talk and costume, smoke and mirrors and what became of his peers, we see him as the influencer, wearing his mask of evil at the start with Dead, to his fall from the top, living in the shadow of someone who truly was evil. This film is visually pleasing, gory but with an amazing application of realism, dream sequences that stimulate and terrorize you, and a dedicated research team who were able to recreate the scene and its members with care and thought. Lords of Chaos is an interesting, stimulation and enjoyable watch, and although based on actual events, it’s important to remember that it has been hammed up in places like all films based on fact have been, for the film even states in its advertising, based on fact and lies, for really no one but those involved in the scene at the time know the truth behind all the tales and myths created. I feared and was excited when I heard about this film, there were so many ways they could of screwed it up, and at the start I thought it was heading that way [the film faced many problems with getting the rights to using the music of the bands from that time], but I was gratefully surprised, this is a must watch to any fans of the scene, to any fans of #musicfilms, or anyone who just loves a good old descent into anarchy, but for those of you who are truly interested in the black metal scene grab a copy of the book which the movie is based on [Lords of Chaos by Michael Moynihan], light some black candles, blast your Burzum CD and sink into the underground of pentagrams, skulls and some questionable 80’s crop tops and try to figure out the truth from the myths yourself.

★★★★★ Directed by #JimCummings Written by #JimCummings Starring #JimCummings #NicanRobinson #KendalFarr Film Review by #HopeMadden Thunder Road is the best film you almost certainly missed in 2018. You should rectify that situation post haste. Jim Cummings writes, directs and stars as Officer Jim Arnaud, a man at a crossroads. Who else would be at the center of a film named for a Springsteen tune? Like one of the year’s other most insightful and original indie gems, Hereditary, Thunder Road opens at a funeral. Also like Ari Aster’s breathless exploration of familial loss and dysfunction, Thunder Road establishes the tone for the film, the mental state and general disposition of the lead, and an unusual perspective with its opening scene. But Cummings takes his meditation on grief and existential dread in very different directions. As both a filmmaker and a performer, Cummings walks a tonal tightrope strung just that side of hysteria. Equally earnest and absurd, comical and heartbreaking, the film and the lead turn compel your attention, your empathy, your discomfort and your love. You will love Officer Jim Arnaud by film’s end, not regardless but because of his epic failures and bottomless reserve of vulnerability. It is impossible not to root for him, not to feel his humiliations, not to admire his corrective measures no matter how ridiculous they are. The filmmaker’s assembled a wonderful supporting cast. Nican Robinson, in particular, bursts through best friend/partner clichés to develop a tender character whose wearied facial expressions say more about his years of friendship than Cummings’s pitch perfect dialog could manage. Macon Blair, Kendal Farr and Jocelyn DeBoer all bring a wonderfully familiar but nuanced small town resignation to their scenes that suits the film’s overall tone and creates an ecosystem where Jim Arnaud could certainly exist. Cummings’s film is hilarious and unblinking, uncomfortable yet kind, and above all things, forgiving. A lot of filmmakers have taken inspiration from Springsteen’s lyrics and brought a dying blue collar American to the screen. None have done the Boss justice the way Cummings has.

★★★★★ Directed by #ToddDouglasMiller Starring #NeilArmstrong #BuzzAldrin #MichaelCollins Film Review by #GeorgeWolf A majestic and inspirational marriage of the historic and the cutting edge, Apollo 11 is a monumental achievement, one full of startling immediacy and stirring heroics. Just weeks after the debut of Peter Jackson's time-traveling masterwork They Shall Not Grow Old, director Todd Douglas Miller also makes history live again through similar reliance on restorative genius and respectful restraint. There is no flowery writing or voiceover narration, just the words and pictures of July 1969, when Americans walked on the moon and returned home safely. The restored footage is so crisp and detailed (even more so in the IMAX version) that shots of a young Johnny Carson among the launch spectators stand as a bracing reminder this is not the latest big budget Hollywood production. This is living, breathing history you're soaking in. And damn is it thrilling. From the capsule "home movies" of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, to the mission control checklists and ticking event countdowns, Apollo 11 immerses you in moments that will elicit breathlessness for the drama, pride for the science, respect for the heroism and awe for the wonder. And still, Apollo 11 stands even taller for its own humble nature. Even in this grand scale, the film never feels like it is trying to deliver a final word, in fact just the opposite. It is a salute to the thirst for knowledge and discovery with an invitation, on the near 50th anniversary of the iconic voyage, to reconsider the achievement. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to check if there's any theaters still playing First Man....

★★ Directed by: Robert Leckington Written by: Robert Leckington, Joshua Nelson Starring: #RobertLeckington, #SterlingSmalley, #TanishaHereast, #MikeTaverna Short Film Review by: #ChrisOlson Retail is an essential transformative experience for anyone who wants to see the reality of the world. Working in a shop allows you to come face-to-face with humans from all walks of life, each with their own specific foibles and eccentricities, their barcode of bafflement if you will. This movie critic had nearly a decade of experience working in supermarkets before finding the glory and riches of film journalism (I still can’t pay my mortgage), so I know where #filmmaker Robert Leckington is coming from with his short film (co-written with Joshua Nelson) 5 Minutes Alone. At barely a 2-minute running time, this piece has pent up frustration all over it. Leckington plays the lead role of a very unhelpful store clerk, whose numerous objections to customers using his checkout range from the petty to the downright rude. As the queue keeps getting longer, we start to ponder whether this guy will explode before he manages to get his 5 Minutes Alone. Coming from an authentic place, this short has a degree of believability and the downbeat nature of the retail staff is certainly going to convince many audience members who have ever experienced a trip to the supermarket where the customer service was less than 5-stars. Aside from that, there is not a huge amount to take from, or indeed enjoy, about Leckington’s movie. The audio is fairly terrible, the camerawork is not exactly daring, and the characters are far from nuanced. Perhaps I say this as someone who once spent many, many hours dreaming of putting my own retail experiences into a movie and all of the things I would hope to capture; from the banality of customer requests, to the rigid stupidity of head office policies, I feel that 5 Minutes Alone has opted for a quick self-checkout rather than a fully loaded family weekly shop. That being said, I think Leckington showed some promise in front of the camera and perhaps a longer running time would have allowed for more depth and exploration of his obviously troubled character. The dialogue with Customer #1 (Sterling Smalley) was half decent and I would certainly have stuck around to see that escalate. As locations for extreme hilarity, poignancy and action (see the marvelous supermarket scene in Hot Fuzz), retail spaces provide a marvelous place for human interaction at its most barking mad. Driven wild by consumerism or the pressures of modern life, either way there is a mine of conflict and tension there that 5 Minutes Alone sadly overlooks or eschews.

★★★ Directed by: #KeithWilhelmKopp Written by: #LaurenceGuy Starring: #BenNash #GemmaReynolds #WilliamBull Short Film Review by: #ChrisBuick Despite numerous movies, television dramas and documentaries on the subject, it is always difficult for civilians to fully understand how life in the military can truly change a person - from the emotional trauma and post-traumatic stress that soldiers can suffer while serving in the armed forces, to the huge difficulties they can face when they return to normal life. While war itself is a horrendous thing, the effects it has on those fighting can be equally devastating, at times physically but more often mentally, with many who go off to serve never returning quite the same as when they left. Ex-soldier Victor (Ben Nash) has a job working the night-time janitorial shift at a grand museum. Here is the only place Victor can be alone and during these late hours, he struggles to come to terms with his past, his former military life having left him feeling disconnected from society. Each night he exchanges simple pleasantries with Jill (Gemma Reynolds) who works in the building, admiring her from afar, but never being able to get past his demons to move the conversation onto something more than a mere greeting. Unable to connect with her and with the place mainly to himself, Victor spends his nights literally dancing and fighting with a manifestation of his younger self from his military days (played by William Bull), trying to let go of its shadow and questioning whether he will ever be able to break free from his past to live a normal life and truly connect with anyone. Director Keith Wilhelm Kopp bases the premise of this film on his own military experience, with Turned to the Sun making up part of a loose trilogy of films called The Soldier’s Journey. The film raises some pertinent questions around how ex-soldiers struggle to re-adjust to normal life after their service and deals with the issues of #PTSD. The film doesn’t necessarily answer these questions which might be because there is no right answer, but it also doesn’t seem to hammer its point home as much as it should and could maybe have benefited from some stronger impactful moments. Turning the metaphor of fighting your demons into a literal sense is clever here and with some good camera work, it brilliantly illustrates Victor’s inability to move past his experiences as he is locked in a constant battle with his former self. Ben Nash as Victor delivers a very convincing performance where you do believe that underneath the brave face, there is something lying underneath that he is clearly struggling with and his inner monologue played over the action helps highlight his frustration in a search for answers. The #shortfilm leaves you with a feeling of hope, but the closing shot hints that his past will always be part of him in some capacity. Regardless of your stance on the subject of war, it is hard to argue that we should respect the brave men and women who are fighting for their respective countries. Turned to the Sun is a respectable short film that highlights an important topic surrounding the psychological barriers that soldiers can face and how difficult it is to connect with society as a result if they are unable to move past them.

★★★★ Directed by: #StaceyStone Short Film Review by: #HannahSayer With a short running time of only 10 minutes, Unaccountable documents the loss of children’s engagement with nature and the collapse of the natural world. This is a hefty subject to tackle with limited dialogue and running time yet Unaccountable succeeds in educating and horrifying about the state of the Salton Sea in California with its stunning imagery alone. The project began when Diane Mellen, the Executive Producer, discovered an article reporting on three-eyed fish and two-headed turtles being found in the New River which flows from the U.S. Mexico border into the Salton Sea. The documentary opens with archival footage from the 1950s which shows families enjoying their holidays as an escape from their city lives, with the Salton Sea being described as “A Palm Springs with water”. This is later juxtaposed with imagery of the landscape and the sea today, with a child’s voice-over describing how “This is what a sea looks like to me”. In the present Imperial Valley in California, mostly everyone in the area works in the agricultural industry and water is scarce due to the desert environment. Unaccountable explores how the Salton Sea is shrinking as water is being diverted to farms and cities. The leftover irrigation water from these farms drains back into the sea, resulting in farming pesticides making their way into the water. The Salton Sea is now 25% saltier than the Pacific Ocean which has led to thousands of dead birds and fish being washed up as they are unable to survive these conditions. Toxic dust in the air is dangerous to breathe in so children are unable to play outside. People have left and abandoned their homes, resulting in abandoned buildings covered in graffiti standing amidst the natural, beautiful landscape. Even though this is what the area has become, The Salton Sea is still being used for camping, boating, fishing and swimming. Diane Mellen and Stacey Stone wanted to make a documentary without words, as “no words can encompass the sadness of the area”. The imagery used is enough to capture this exact feeling and the addition of the child’s voice-over informing the viewer of the extent to the situation allows for time for reflection. Having a child’s voice-over reminds the viewer of what consequences have been left for the future and children’s current disconnect with the outside world. When compared to the archival footage showing families by the sea, this is all the more moving. This archival footage exposes the difference between the Salton Sea in the present and the past. At times the documentary feels like a special tour of this place. The camera work enables the viewer to feel as if they are experiencing this environment for themselves. When the music cuts out and the imagery is used on its own to highlight this loss and sadness, the silence is palpable. This is a thought-provoking study of how farming and runoff sewage have had their part in this devastation. Unaccountable is a stirring call to action to remind viewers of the impact being had on this natural environment. The overall result is a visually stunning and insightful experience which highlights this harsh reality. Watch the official movie trailer for Unaccountable below. #Unaccountable #StaceyStone #DianeMellen #HannahSayer #ShortFilms #ShortFilmReviews #DocumentaryFilmReviews

★★ Directed by: #ChrisLazzaro Written by: #FrankGaldorise Starring: Frank Galdorise, #KellyWray, Chris Lazzaro, #AlexHazenFloyd Short Film Review by: #ChrisOlson Sincere yet flawed family drama The Day Of takes a tragic storyline across generations to reveal the poignant role that death can play and how the struggle to keep going should always be outweighed by hope. Alex Hazen Floyd plays Hugo, whom we meet early in the film as a young single father. His scenes playing catch with his daughter and reading her bedtime stories are tinged with sadness when we see him sobbing about the loss of the the girl’s mother. Skip some decades ahead and we next see Hugo played by Frank Galdorise (who also wrote the story), a bricklayer who is about to retire so he can be around to help his now adult daughter raise her baby that’s on the way. Whilst this looks like a happy ever after, we still see Hugo struggling with going through life without his partner. Low budget and rough around the edges, the technical shortcomings of The Day Of can certainly be forgiven when considering the 10k budget. Audiences looking for a hefty emotional atmosphere will definitely enjoy director Chris Lazzaro’s gloopy and sentimental approach to the #filmmaking. However, if hazy sequences and a saccharine score are not your thing, the short film may cause stirrings of disappointment. The dialogue is clunky and rudimentary, keeping the performers churning through scene after scene of conflict-less mundanity. It is only really the scenes where Hugo is alone that we experience any kind of dramatic tension and this gets quickly replaced. A bar scene that looks like it was mostly populated with friends of the crew was achingly awkward. It’s not all doom and gloom, however, Kelly Wray provides another decent turn (see my recent movie review for The Chosen in which she co-stars with Galdorise) playing the older version of the daughter Emily. The awkward scenes and wooden dialogue of this film, make me absolutely certain I want to see her in a feature length indie movie with a stronger story. Alex Hazen Floyd was also impressive as the younger dad. His chemistry with the younger version of Emily was, although similar to a TV movie, at least convincing. Crying on cue is always challenging but he gives it a good go. Far from groundbreaking (more like another brick in the wall - see what we did there?) and as rigidly abiding to cinematic conventions as they come, the sincerity of The Day Of is its strongest aspect, and the use of time hopping is an ambitious if uneasily executed #storytelling device.