★★★★ Directed By: Daniel Kremer Starring: Jeff Kao, Penny Werner, Nancy Kimball, Kris Caltagirone, Deniz Demirer, Barry Newman, Daniel Kremer Indie Film Review by: Jack Bottomley When you look at cults and their representation in cinema over the years, you get an interesting cross-section of ideas and approaches. From the haunting horror of The Wicker Man, Rosemary’s Baby, The Conspiracy and The Kill List to the deeply layered drama of The Master to disquieting sensibilities of The Sound of My Voice and Martha Marcy May Marlene, cinema – just like reality – has different views and perceptions of societal cults. Perhaps this is why such subject matter is so alluring (albeit challenging) for filmmakers to tackle and in Raise Your Kids On Seltzer, Daniel Kremer offers up another film that handles some ambitious and ambiguous ideas. Terry (Jeff Kao) and Tessa (Penny Werner) are two retired “deprogrammers” (people who kidnap people away from oppressive cults to re-adjust them to reality) but the tedium of their new job making vapid corporate videos mixed with turbulent writing work and an upsetting reminder of the consequences of their past has put their relationship under strain and things are about to get more problematic with an unexpected deprogrammer assignment offer. Starting with some pieces of the puzzle in place (a quotation highlighting the film’s relationship-centric story and a definition of deprogramming), Raise Your Kids On Seltzer then slowly but surely reaches its unexpected end goal, asking us a great deal of questions along the way. While rough around the edges (some lines of dialogue feel forced), if you have the patience to adapt to the movie’s pace, there is a very worthwhile story here of psychology, morality and humanity. Kremer does not shy away from the inherent darkness of the subject of cults and control (aided by moments of foreboding scoring by Tom Scott) but he likewise does not avoid the problematical nature of deprogramming, with an early plot development asking us from the start about the consequences of their work. Like Martha Marcy May Marlene, some may lose focus on the film’s intentions but the answers to the moral quandaries are not freely provided, nor are the resolutions to the lead couple’s personal conflicts and everything here is given purpose. Terry and Tessa are two very authentic, freethinking and analytical minds and the pressures mount for both through a story that is generously dotted with themes realistic to us as viewers. The ambivalence Terry has to his new work, the clashes Tessa has with her twin sister (also played by Werner), the stifled artistic output both suffer from as their issues come to boil, all of these stressors are each developed as the story never forgets its cult subject but only really comes to properly embrace it in the final third. For many this may be frustrating, as the premise suggests something different but this slow progression to seeing the deprogrammers actually at work is necessary to allow us to grasp these two people as fully rendered characters and the finale – and a dastardly little twist – rewards your investment. Like Director of Photography Aaron Hollander’s imagery, the characters feel genuine and this gives the film, despite a couple of scriptural flaws, a raw power. Jeff Kao and Penny Werner are fantastic and emotional as the central couple and their relationship feels real to witness, with arguments that feel as relatable as the moments of tenderness. They are the core to proceedings and around them the script (written by Kremer, Kao and Werner) can flex its cognitive muscles and take its time to get to where it is going. Some supporting performances are less effective and there are a few characters that feel to come and go to little end but there are some notable turns from Nancy Kimball (who is excellent at the height of the film) and a small but great role by Barry Newman as Bill Tannery, a rapid fire attorney for a cult leader. Overall Raise Your Kids On Seltzer is a most interesting piece of work, and to say it was shot across 15 days, the craft feels very thoughtful and enthusiastically made. Kremer chooses to develop his leads over diving straight into the world of cultdom and in turn seeks out some interesting themes (as well as a few personal tributes to filmmaker Sidney J. Furie) as he works towards a quietly shattering crescendo that asks us what is right? Who is right? And how can we be sure we are on the correct path? Raise Your Kids On Seltzer is available to view now on Fandor. Watch the official movie trailer below... #IndieFilmReviews #IndieFilms #JackBottomley #DanielKremer #JeffKao #PennyWerner #NancyKimball #KrisCaltagirone #DenizDemirer #BarryNewman

★★★★ Directed by: Christopher Flippo Starring: Chris Schulz, Geoff James, Emily Landham, Carter Kinsella, Jackson Pyle Indie Film Review by: Jack Bottomley So many films deal with mid-life crisis, nostalgia or yearning for times gone past but it is less common to see a coming of age tale where actual young adults onscreen are looking back more than they are forward. All of us reach points in life where we consider what might have been or analyse what has been. In fact, for many of us, it is a constantly recurring issue: Are we reaching our potential? Are we making the most of what we have? Do we need to change? All are interesting quandaries to dissect on the big screen and in Christopher Flippo’s film; we have a movie that feels real and intimate in dealing with such human questions. Down and Yonder is a feature length adaptation of the director’s 2014 short film The Future West and unlike many short-turned-features, this film makes perfect use of its well decided running time. The picture sees Southern town friends Wally (Chris Schulz) and Steven (Geoff James) living in a cycle of hanging out, working and reminiscing but Wally constantly wonders whether there is more that he could/should be doing in life and when he meets young woman Mara (Emily Landham), he is forced to consider this even more. Filmed on location in Rossville and Chickamauga, Georgia, Down and Yonder has a great deal of passion behind it and evokes a less extreme Trainspotting in its themes of young adults in calamity and boasts a very Richard Linklater-like style. Flippo’s film has long stretches absent of Richard Malstrom’s soundtrack, instead using it at certain moments for even more impact and otherwise relying on select country music or indeed silence. Like Tarantino, the dialogue is given priority and like Linklater Flippo captures a great sense of internal exploration and a kind of subdued wonder as he looks at realistic young adults and what is on their mind at this quarter life crisis point. The conversations are meaningful, insightful and at points humourous, while Flippo unflashily directs and instead lets his subjects melt into their setting - well captured by director Brenson Greene. As Wally and Steven (jokingly but also rather affectionately nicknamed ‘Sugar Baby’) reminisce about their high school days, meet up with troublesome past pal Mason (a fast talking Corey Ryan Forrester) or discuss their feelings on their lot in life and how it compares to expectation, we are swept along in Wally’s daze and Steven’s contentedness. These two characters, despite living in a different culture to many viewers, will feel awfully familiar to those of a certain age and as the film shows us the way life can distances us, how memory can transfix us or how we can never really predict what is to come, we come to be involved with this relatable and comforting story of two longtime buds. The acting is pretty great, with Chris Schulz making an excellent lead as the increasingly disillusioned Wally and Geoff James being a fantastic cohort in the likable Steven. The two friends are superbly suited to be the core of a story like this, which sees two guys growing up and finding their footing in the challenging waltz of life. There is also some excellent support by Emily Landham as Mara, the lady who Wally starts falling for and who offers him a way forward but ultimately offers him the chance (in the film’s hopeful last chapter) to mend bridges fractured by differing ideals on life. There are a few other good performances from the cast too, including Regina Nicole, Carter Kinsella and Jackson Pyle. Down and Yonder is an unexpected treat that seizes the feelings of young adulthood, as some of us choose to grasp on to the school day times as life progressively throws us turbulence and others start thinking about just how to change the position that we are currently in. An impressive feature that, like Linklater, is humanist in how it looks at the passing years but not at the expense of being quite optimistic and, in its own subtle way, enthusiastic. #IndieFilmReviews #IndieFilms #JackBottomley #ChristopherFlippo #ChrisSchulz #GeoffJames #EmilyLandham #CarterKinsella #JacksonPyle

★ Directed by: Aaron Pacentine Starring: Randy Bruce, Jason Smither and Rhonda Linda Clark Short Film Review by: Annie Vincent If you have never seen The Wizard of Oz or its sequel Return to Oz, you really, really should. The first film, a musical made in 1939 and starring Judy Garland, is a beautiful adaptation of Baum’s book from 1900 and follows Dorothy as a tornado transports her to Oz and she embarks on a journey to find the Wizard who can send her home, meeting a variety of friends and adversaries on the way. The (unofficial) sequel from 1985 also takes inspiration from Baum’s other novels in the series, and follows Dorothy as she returns to Oz six months later to find it crumbling under the tyranny of the Nome King. I could go on about both films for pages and pages: the music, the colour, the performances, the scripts ... For a fan of both films, such as me, reviewing Reflections in the Mirror, a story about a young man obsessed with these same stories and their movies who finds they invade his dreams, seemed to have the potential to impress, to offer a dreamy nostalgia, a trip back to the Yellow Brick Road of 1939 and an encounter with Judy Garland. This short film does none of those things. It is difficult to find a compliment for this film. It lacks the basic fundamentals of story-telling: there is no narrative structure, no character motivation or integrity and nothing really happens either. Randy, a young man of 15, explains his obsession with the film to camera, occasionally comes away from this to deliver ‘facts’ directly to camera (inconsequential and of no value e.g. Princess Mombi’s room in the 1985 film is number 31 ...), and then jettisons back into a disjointed narrative about having a dream about the 1985 film and needing to visit a park in New York because of it. There, he finds a number of ‘artefacts’ from the film. Later he wakes up as an adult, takes his shirt off and poses in the mirror a few times before hallucinating about a witch (not related to either Oz film) in the bath, before the film turns back to young Randy again. The film doesn’t conform to any generic conventions either, being an odd blend of narrative and documentary clips, so you never really know what you’re watching or why. To add to this, the technical capability is limited. The camerawork is amateurish, with an obvious lack of sharp focus which audiences today expect considering the technology now available – I’ve seen films shot on iPhones look better than this. JPGs are used throughout and inserted over the top of film with no attempt at blending so it looks like a particularly poor school film studies project and the audio-balancing is so bad you miss most of the script, and at really key moments too, so if there is an attempt to include any kind of revelation or climactic moment, we miss it. Frankly, this was a painful viewing experience and at a run-time of over twenty-five minutes, I can’t see many audience members seeing it through to the end. The only redeeming feature in Reflections in the Mirror is the choice of background music – ethereal and pretty at times, it suits the magical world Baum created in his novels and was created in both films by their directors, but a tribute film this is not. I cannot recommend this film, but there is never a bad time to revisit those old classics - I mean, Judy Garland: wow! #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #AnnieVincent #1Star #AaronPacentine #RandyBruce #JasonSmither #RhondaLindaClark

★★★ Directed by Andrew Dosunmu Starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Keifer Sutherland Film Review by George Wolf Even if you hated last year's polarizing mother! (let's argue about that later), Michelle Pfeiffer's bracing performance was a reality check for anyone who doubted her chops. But that was a supporting role well-suited for scene stealing. Pfeiffer takes the titular lead in Where is Kyra?, the latest from director Andrew Dosunmu, and not only carries, but elevates a film anchored in some grim realities of American life. Her Kyra is an increasingly desperate woman struggling to keep her deceased mother's apartment in Brooklyn. Though Kyra continues to look for work, nothing pans out except a dive-bar romance with Doug (Kiefer Sutherland - solid), a cabbie trying to turn his own life around. Mom's government checks keep coming after the funeral, and the job offers don't, so Kyra begins a secret life with slim hopes for happy endings. Dosunmu, in his first film since the heartfelt and wonderful Mother of George five years ago, re-ups with screenwriter Darci Picoult and again utilizes a stirring lead performance to study a woman faced with shrinking options and tough choices. But in contrast to the culture clash that drove Danai Gurira in Mother of George, Pfeiffer's Kyra personifies the perils of aging in America, and how quickly the slope to desperation can become quite slippery. Pfeiffer is masterful, giving Kyra's tailspin an authentic center even as Dosunmu and Piccoult box her into a corner with questionable credibility. Frequent partial shots through doorways, lingering close ups and selective slo-motion enable Dosunmu to move gracefully from monochromatic grit to dreamlike lenses and back again, each trip reinforcing the reality Kyra can't wish away. The pace may seem achingly slow at times, the message a tad too manufactured at others, but Pfeiffer is always there to keep your attention from wandering. She pays it small, with an intimately sorrowful center both sympathetic and fascinating, holding Where is Kyra? steady whenever its knees get shaky. #GeorgeWolf #movies #film #entertainment #moviereviews #filmreviews #WhereIsKyra #independentfilm #MichellePfeiffer #KeiferSutherland #AndrewDosunmu #FilmReviews #TheatricalReleases

★ Directed by Jeff Wadlow Starring Lucy Hale, Violett Beane, Sophia Ali, Tyler Posey, Hayden Szeto Film Review by Hope Madden Do people over the age of 8 still honestly play Truth or Dare? This idea surprises me. Aren’t there video games kids can be wasting time with? I suppose the real surprise is that it took four years for a film to rip off It Follows. The new PG-13 horror from Blumhouse, Truth or Dare, takes a stab at it. No, it’s not sex. But it is a curse that you pass on to other people to save yourself. A super lame curse that blends the clever concept of It Follows with the by-the-numbers structure of one of the later Final Destinations and wraps it all up in a faux-contemporary cautionary tale about the digital age. Yawn! I’d point out that co-writer/director Jeff Wadlow was primarily lifting from his own 2005 film Cry Wolf, but I decided to go with movies you might have seen—movies that merit imitation. So. Goody two-shoes Olivia (Lucy Hale) plans to spend her final spring break as a college student building houses with Habitat for Humanity, but her trampy bestie Markie (Violett Beane) and their binge-drinking roomie Penelope (Sophia Ali) have other plans. They guilt Olivia into spending the time with them, their boyfriends and an ethnic minority/gay sixth wheel in Mexico. Hooray! Six slasher stereotypes—I mean, six best friends!—head south to flirt with alcohol poisoning and make bad decisions. Like playing grade school sleepover games and going to that decaying old mission. Truth is, there are moments when one performance or a single intriguing notion or a clever call-back threatens to save a scene, by the final reveal you realize how heavy-handed the film really is. Performances are bland, kills lack inspiration, there aren’t even enough of the prerequisite jump scares to keep the target PG-13 audience interested. If you are of-age, hopefully you bought some beer with that ID because you’ll need the lubrication to help you glide past the lapses in logic, sometimes comical dialog and one laugh-out-loud moment at the vending machine. Brad (Hayden Szeto, who deserves better) hears the ominous sound of an otherworldly voice calling out his name. Except that it sounds exactly like some stoned guy hiding on the other side of the candy machine trying out his spooky voice and stage-whispering, “Braaaaaaaaadddddd!” My entire row laughed. So, there you go. There is some enjoyment to be had. #HopeMadden #movies #film #entertainment #horror #horrormovies #TruthorDare #Blumhouse39sTruthorDare #LucyHale #ViolettBeane #SophiaAli #TylerPosey #HaydenSzeto #JeffWadlow #1Star #FilmReviews #TheatricalReleases

★★★★★ Directed by: Chad Hamilton Starring: Falon Joslyn, Jonathan Noto, Mike Yak, Allia Abouelenein, Steven Zettler and Chad Hamilton Short Film Review by: Rachel Pullen We live in a time of amazing cinema. Directors can create amazing scenes and lands for their characters to run wild in thanks to the development of green screen, we have access to amazing shots and cinematography due to the development of cameras, we pretty much can do anything, create anything and wow anyone on the silver screen, but that does not mean we should forget the most important part....a good storyline. Simplicity can often have a greater impact than the most visually stimulating special effects, and that simplicity can speak volumes with a good storyline, and that’s exactly what has happened with director Chad Hamilton’s short film, Not Yet. Not Yet is the tale of a husband and his sick wife played by Falon Joslyn and Jonathan Noto, on a trip to the local park in an attempt to raise the spirits of the wife, yet despite his efforts she can barely struggle a smile. No flowers, nor beautiful music is helping her out of her miserable condition, but when he throws a stone which causes a domino effect of unfortunate accidents for the other park users she finally breaks into laughter. Yet despite the husband achieving his goal it takes him into a flashback of vivid and brightly colourful memories of happier times between the pair, when she was healthy and well, when they had their lives in front of them. The colourful nature of the flashbacks is something that is important within the short, Hamilton plays colours off each other, in the park, on what seems like a bleak day, the wife still has a presence of life to her with her vibrant head scarf, complementing the blooming flower she clutches in her hands. These colours then guide us into the flashbacks which feel warm and inviting, the soft oranges and pinks flood our screens and draw us into a sense of security and maybe our own pleasant headspace. Using colour and music is the dominate stimulant within this short, there is no dialogue which in itself speaks greatly, it reminds us that the unconditional love we are seeing between the couple needs no words, they are able, like most long term lovers, to communicate how they feel through a look, a gesture or touch. At the end of the day Not Yet is about just that, the unconditional love we can possess for others, be it in the lightest of times or the darkest, if you love someone you will be there no matter what. This is an emotionally moving piece, pulled together by a simple yet effective storyline, but despite the bleak undertone between the husband and his dying wife, Hamilton splices in some old slapstick comedy, allowing the viewer a reminder that things are not so bad. We feel sad with the wife, but we also laugh with her, getting the sense that Hamilton uses this comedy to remind us that we have the same responses to stimulants such and love and laughter no matter what physical or mental state we are in. This enjoyable piece has won many awards, and I am not surprised, Hamilton hits the nail on the head so well that he drove it through the plank with one clean smack from his directing hammer of perfection, kudos to you my friend. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #ChrisOlson #ChadHamilton #FalonJoslyn #JonathanNoto #MikeYak #AlliaAbouelenein #StevenZettler #RachelPullen

★★★ Directed by: Kiran Dhoot Written by: Kiran Dhoot Starring: Ricardo Freitas, Meena Rayann, Sanee Raval Short Film Review by: Chris Olson Dystopian short film Exodus sees a world left void, both physically and morally, as we witness three survivors in a bunker attempt to cling to life in the desperate hope that one of the shuttles that are ferrying citizens off the planet may turn up. Ricardo Freitas plays Caesar, one of the unlucky trio, who spends his time in the bunker showing kindness to Gibson (Sanee Raval), who seems broken and “tired” by some past behavior of his own, and appeasing Grace (Meena Rayann), whose curmudgeonly attitude begets her no friends. After learning that there may be an opportunity for one of them to escape their tragic confines, the true nature of each character reveals itself with varying amounts of ethical ambiguity. Ambitious and not without its successes, Exodus suffers badly from a clunky script (written by Kiran Dhoot, who also directs here) and melodramatic performances. There are lines in the dialogue that bang around the bunker and don't stop clamouring because another one hits moments later. Each of the performers wrestles with these lines and ultimately fails to produce anything other than forgettable science fiction humdrum. None of the performers seem comfortable with their character’s lines, which may be a reflection of limited rehearsal time or lack of direction, but either way it is something the audience will be unlikely to miss. All that being said, I really enjoyed the claustrophobic atmosphere of Exodus and the way in which Dhoot uses the space of his location. The tube offers some brilliant opportunities to create intimacy and isolation at the same time and the filmmaker explores these brilliantly. This also enhanced the latter section of the short film, where the moral debate as to who deserves to be rescued ensued. Darkness is a constant presence in the bunker and a poignant reflection on human nature in the face of impending peril. The most intriguing aspect of the story is Gibson and how he ended up gaining entry to the bunker. A few details are shed and I would definitely liked to have seen this explored more. Some hazy snapshots/memory sequences could have possible been used, perhaps in replacement of the flatulence thread. Other sci-fi shorts have done this genre a lot better (see John Carlin’s Echoes, or Fred Cavender’s The Damned) but Exodus is a worthwhile watch for viewers with an appetite for impending danger vibes and an interesting exploration of which parts of ourselves take over when it matters most, and which parts make an...aheam...exodus. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #ChrisOlson #SciFi #ScienceFiction #KiranDhoot #RicardoFreitas #MeenaRayann #SaneeRaval

★ Directed by Brad Payton Starring Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Malin Akerman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan Film Review by Matt Weiner Here’s something I never thought I’d say: I miss the cohesive vision of Battleship, a movie that is no longer the dullest adaptation of a game. That’s because Rampage exists, the latest video game adaptation to suggest that Hollywood is intentionally tanking these things to convince audiences that movies are a superior medium. To be fair, there are far worse adaptations out there. Rampage reunites director Brad Peyton with disasters, Dwayne Johnson and green screen destruction, last seen together in San Andreas (2015). Peyton knows how to keep the action moving along, and Johnson is extremely adept by now at oozing charm no matter how nonsensical the material. Johnson plays primatologist Davis Okoye, whose beloved gorilla George is one of three beasts who fall victim to rogue genetic engineering and cut a destructive path through the country as they all converge on the company responsible for their mutation. Because some tension is needed to pad out the sparse story, Okoye is joined by genetic engineer Dr. Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris) and government agent Harvey Russell (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), who all have reservations teaming up at first but come to learn that they have more in common than not. For example, they are the only three people involved in the relief effort who think maybe it’s not a good idea to level a major American city. Sure, the plot is inane and the dialogue breaks new ground in expository heights—especially from the film’s human antagonists, corporate baddies Claire and Brett Wyden (Malin Åckerman and Jake Lacy, who do about as much as possible for being tasked with Explaining Things We Just Saw a Minute Ago). Rampage’s script-by-committee strives to meet some golden ratio of one-liners and world-ending peril. And the cast is game, plainly knowing what they’ve signed onto. But something still feels off, and it’s a fatal problem for a movie like this when the biggest tension isn’t onscreen but rather a nagging conflict between millions of dollars and who knows how many studio honchos never quite committing to whether this should be a serious property or a popcorn flick. While the Rampage video game series managed to pay tribute to its monster movie conventions as much as it tore them down, all of that gets ignored for something so by-the-numbers that the number of people credited for the screenplay is the only thing less believable than the movie’s treatment of genetics. (Also physics.) And as if Rampage needed any more off-screen problems, Warner Bros. isn’t doing themselves any favors by reminding people of King Kong and Godzilla at a time when the studio’s “MonsterVerse” is giving those properties insightful, visually distinct and even daring reboots. If you’re under the age of 13 and might enjoy seeing The Rock swap crude jokes with a CGI gorilla—or if you’re over the age of 30 and have an inexplicably intense connection to a niche video game series—then there’s a chance Rampage is for you. Otherwise, it’s a muddled genre substitute for the real thing. Save your quarters. #MattWeiner #movies #film #entertainment #moviereviews #filmreviews #actionmovies #videogamemovies #DwayneJohnson #NaomieHarris #MalinAkerman #JeffreyDeanMorgan #BradPayton #FilmReviews #TheatricalReleases #1Star

★★★★ Directed by: Ryan Still Starring: Ray Still, Marie Sullivan Short Film Review by: Chris Olson Home movies are a personal thing. The collections of clips that we accumulate during a lifetime involve the people that we know, the relationships that we have, and the emotions that we feel for them and are indeed our own. However, when a filmmaker like Ryan Still serves up his specific home movie narrative Memory, there is a lot for the audience to connect and empathise with. Telling the story of why his mother and father are no longer together, the ingredients for short film Memory are few and compelling. The audio is exclusively provided by Ryan's mother Marie Sullivan, who regales for Ryan with the demise of his parentage whilst, at least in part, attempting to console him. The visuals comprise of holiday footage and clips from special occasions, which create a tapestry of memory for the real power of Still’s movie to be realised; which is context. At one point Marie mentions how memories are given meaning by the context in which they are being remembered from, an important and poignant point. This creates a harrowing atmosphere for the home movies to play out in, as they seem to become tainted with the broken emotions of the situation and Marie’s voice seems to sever their original meaning as she relays her inability to prevent the break-up. Her heartfelt recollections of Ryan’s father feel like a eulogy, robbing the life from the person we see in the memories. The music which accompanies film is well timed and enhances the latter section of the short. Aside from this there is no real flair to the piece, which I think is deliberate. To have any frills or thrills would be to undermine the motivation of Memory, which is not trying to be a cinematically impressive film but an emotionally charged concept utterly layered with personal grief. The characters are real and do not seemed skewed by the documentary style which could have been a much harder balance to strike had Still opted for a different tone or structure. Some audiences may struggle to connect with the material, perhaps demanding the other side to the story (maybe a sequel where Ryan's dad narrates is needed), or just simply not able to connect with the very personal tragedy being conveyed. But for those viewers who can immerse themselves into these human reflections and connect the visuals with the pathos, then there is a very rewarding experience to be found. It all depends on the context with which you approach the story I guess. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #ChrisOlson #DocumentaryFilmReviews #Documentaries #RyanStill #RayStill #MarieSullivan

★★ Directed by: Paolo Virzi Starring: Helen Mirren, Donald Sutherland Film Review by: George Wolf Pairing up Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland is a welcome idea with exciting potential. Much of that potential is left unexplored by The Leisure Seeker in favor of embarrassing schtick and cheap sentiment. The veteran actors star as Ella and John Spencer, a senior couple in Massachusetts who bust out their old RV and run from the concerned grasp of their kids for a bucket list trip. John is a retired literature professor who has long idolized Hemingway, so Ella decides it's time to visit the Hemingway House in Key West before John's memory fades away completely. This road trip setup, from the novel by Michael Zadoorian, is more organically sound than most, but soon gets exploited with easy pickings from two crops of low-hanging fruit. Director and co-writer Paolo Virzi (Like Crazy) strings together the random, disconnected hijinx this genre seemingly demands, while also poking cliched fun at old people riding motorcycles, talking sex or packing heat. This laziness comes much too frequently, with punchlines based on age not action, bringing a stale odor to the goodwill earned from putting these two endlessly likable stars at the forefront. Mirren and Sutherland are worth a better investment, and both end up working much too hard selling these warmed-over tropes, but the missed opportunities extend beyond the cast list. Some worthy issues on aging come into view, only to be passed by or, worse yet, made light of, all in service of a maudlin conclusion you could see coming in the dark with no headlights. Expecting every film on senior issues to carry the magnificence of, say, Amour, would be unrealistic, but The Leisure Seeker hardly wanders beyond the Going in Style end of the pool. Bad trip, man. #GeorgeWolf #TheLeisureSeeker #HelenMirren #DonaldSutherland #PaoloVirzi #movies #film #entertainment #moviereviews #filmreviews #independentfilm #roadtripmovies #lovestories

Written and Directed by Dev Seth Starring Peter Svatik, Amelia Eve, Sam Dunning, Ryan Graham, Nadezda Maksimenko Short Film Review by Hannah Sayer Is true love accepting someone for who they are or trying to help them by pushing them out of their comfort zone? This is the lasting question which Dev Seth’s debut short film NICOLA – A Touching Story asks the viewer to consider. The short film takes place in the home of newly married couple Leon (Peter Svatik) and Nicola (Amelia Eve). Leon has invited his friends Ryan (Ryan Graham) and Nadya (Nadezda Maksimenko) to their new home and the film opens with the three friends getting along well, happy and enjoying their evening. However while they’re all having a good time, Nicola is in another part of the house alone. As Ryan and Nadya are leaving they wait to say goodbye to Nicola who returns acting fidgety, anxious and avoiding eye contact with the couple. Ryan goes to hug Nicola, thinking that this is the right course of action when interacting with someone who is upset, but she pushes him away and runs off. This causes Ryan and Nadya’s suspicions to increase as they are very concerned by Nicola’s strange and unexplained behaviour. A few days after this intense evening a conversation between Nicola and Leon reveals to the viewer that Nicola is in fact suffering from a rare phobia called haphephobia. Haphephobia is the fear of touching or being touched and the short film highlights the impacts this phobia is having on Nicola’s life, especially on her relationship with Leon. After this conversation between the couple, Nicola is alone at home when an intruder Michael (Sam Dunning) who pretends to be there to look at their boiler enters her home and begins terrorising her. What follows is a tense encounter which climaxes with a revelation about the root of Nicola’s trauma and a breakthrough. The confined setting of the house adds to the intensity in the second half of the film as the home invasion takes place. The use of blurry shots can be disorientating for the viewer and the cinematography often reinforces Nicola’s state of mind, especially when used in this way during flashbacks to the traumatic event. The use of slow motion adds to this intensity when touching is taking place to reinforce the fear this brings to Nicola. The shooting style and aesthetic of the short is realistic yet the haunting music juxtaposes this. The music adds to the eerie atmosphere from the outset and makes the viewer question what is really wrong with Nicola when the short film has not gone into detail about her battle with haphephobia. By not disclosing Nicola’s condition to the viewer during her initial interaction with Leon’s guests, their suspicions and the uncertainty as to what is going on successfully reinforces this sinister and tense atmosphere from the outset. Overall, NICOLA – A Touching Story is a well-acted and intriguing short film which explores an important subject within an intense and gripping story. #ShortFilms #HannahSayer #DevSeth #PeterSvatik #AmeliaEve #SamDunning #RyanGraham #NadezdaMaksimenko #Drama

★★★ Directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorehead Starring Justin Benson, Aaron Moorehead, Callie Hernandez, James Jordan, Tate Ellington Film Review by Hope Madden There is something very clever about the way Justin Benson and Aaron Moorehead’s movies sneak up on you. Always creepy, still they defy genre expectations even as they play with them. Camp Arcadia offers the rustic backdrop for their latest, The Endless. A clever bit of SciFi misdirection, the film follows two brothers as they return to the cult they’d escaped a decade earlier. Just to visit. Do you ever have those dreams where you find yourself back in your hometown and no matter how hard you try, you can’t leave? No? You must not be from Tiffin, Ohio. Benson and Moorehead capture that particular panicked feeling, each slow-moving moment generating a louder and louder echo in your head, yelling: Why are you still here? Go already! The other thing the directing pair creates with uneasy authenticity is that spotty forgiving and unforgiving bond between siblings. The directors themselves play those siblings. Though Moorehead and Benson have had cameos in their previous films Spring and Resolution, as well as a handful of other horror flicks, The Endless, penned by Benson, is the first film they anchor. Their acting chops are mainly solid, although perhaps not lead-worthy. Moorehead’s innocence and whining sometimes feel forced. Meanwhile, Benson’s character’s motivation is at times suspect, and he’s unconvincing as a sheltered, shell-shocked, co-dependent. Though the lead performances sometimes undermine the agile storytelling, the turns the directors draw from their ensemble are strong across the board. Welcome familiar faces in a third-act surprise prove the filmmakers’ nimble skill with a fantasy storyline that could easily collapse on itself but never does. It is this story and the pair’s storytelling skill that continues to impress. Their looping timelines provide fertile ground for clever turns that fans of the filmmakers will find delightful, but the uninitiated will appreciate as well. #HopeMadden #movies #film #entertainment #moviereviews #filmreviews #theEndless #fantasy #sciencefiction #Scifi #sequels #JustinBenson #AaronMoorehead #CalieHernandez #JamesJordan #TateEllington #IndieFilmReviews