Directed by Sergey Shcherbak Starring Alexander Ladyka, Angelina Belous, Vadim Griger, Vitalina Lozovskaya Short Film Review by Owen Herman Short films, due to no pressure for box office success, are often much more complex and creative than theatrical films. They can reflect personal beliefs of the directors and some try to make a powerful statement. At their best, these more elaborate shorts can be unique works of art that make you think and feel in ways you didn’t expect, at their worst, they can be pretentious, forceful, or misguided. The Image, a Ukrainian film by director Sergey Shcherbak, sits somewhere in the middle. It is certainly complex and well crafted, but it is also a difficult short that lacks accessibility. The Image looks at a disturbed man, who is seemingly haunted by an image from his TV and confused by his feelings towards his friends. It is dark, twisted, mature, and deals with heavy themes. The Image is hard to fit into one, or even two, genres, with its story playing out like a drama, with themes of a psychological thriller, and some elements of a horror. These different styles blend together well, creating an unsettling, but not confused, tone. There is less a focus on dialogue and more focus on music and sound, which is used intelligently to get into the main character’s disturbing and mysterious thoughts. It reminded me of Paul Thomas Anderson’s use of music in Punch-Drunk Love, where the chaotic sounds help give you a feel for what’s going on in Adam Sandler’s muddled mind. The real highlight of the short is the cinematography and visual style. There are some well-executed shots that are very memorable and the colour palette is terrific. The film appears almost entirely in dull colours, mostly black, grey, and white, with flashes of red being the only exception. This really brings out the red, making every inclusion both stunning and packed with meaning. The dialogue at times felt slightly weak and unrealistic but, due to my lack of any foreign language skills, I had to watch using subtitles so can’t say whether this problem was the script or just the unfortunate translation. As it is most likely the latter, this isn’t a problem with Shcherbak’s original short but I did notice it and it did take me out of the experience at times. My main problem with The Image is, as mentioned earlier, its inaccessible and difficult nature. Although well-crafted, the short can be difficult to grasp, and its overall meaning remains unclear. Issues like this can depend mainly on the viewer, and I personally found it tough to interpret, but it is an issue nonetheless. However, despite my confusion, The Image kept me engaged with its dark themes and visual flair. Like the titular image in the short, it is hard to comprehend but remains somewhat haunting. #SergeyShcherbak #OwenHerman #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #WorldCinema

Directed by Luis Miguel Leal Written by Jorge Barboza Starring Steve Wilcox and Jean Pierre Agostini Short Film Review by Chris Olson In the cosy daylight of a well furnished living room, two men sit opposite each other. On the sofa is Detective Baton (Jean Pierre Agostini), sporting a wet-behind-the-ears demeanour but also harbouring a quiet mystery. In an armchair sits the titular Mr Sheppard (Steve Wilcox). Well dressed and imposing, his defensiveness becomes quickly apparent and something which increases through the short film. Full of intrigue and atmosphere, Luis Miguel Leal's direction of The Case Against Mr. Sheppard is clever and rich. The intimate location is used brilliantly to enhance the drama, allowing the friction between the two characters to fill the room like smoke. The story from Jorge Barboza is layered with thick twists and revelations and has a great timing in terms of developing the plot surrounding Mr Sheppard. It would be a shame to spoil any of the potential enjoyment for the viewer by going into any detail, but the storyline is original and engaging. Both performers turn in worthy portrayals of their characters, each distinctive but different. The mistrust of Wilcox's intense facial expressions perfectly contrasting Agostini's almost puppy doggish and fervent intrigue. The former has more presence and tends to dominate each frame he is in, but both have a chemistry that is worthwhile to explore. The music was well chosen and captured the tone of the short well, in particular the final sequences which had a heightened drama to them. There was a televisual quality to the filmmaking which seemed more akin to a high end crime show rather than a movie. That being said, the intro sequence was excellently put together and showed a degree of bravery. Given the storyline was left with space for continuation, The Case Against Mr. Sheppard would make a welcome feature length indie film, especially with room to breathe and a decent budget. The cast are great, the writing is intelligent and the overall filmmaking showed a lot of promise. A must watch for fans of intense dramas and great performances. Watch the official Movie Trailer for The Case Against Mr. Sheppard below... #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #ChrisOlson #Drama #SteveWilcox #JeanPierreAgostini #MovieTrailers #LuisMiguelLeal

Directed by Tanmay Singh Starring Preeti Jhangiani Short Film Review by Kirsty Asher The Masterpiece is a very interesting film. It employs the concept of the fading starlet, much like a Desi version of Sunset Boulevard, except Preeti Jhangiani is very much playing a version of herself. There is such a meta quality to this film, with a hardened line of criticism towards Hindi/Bollywood cinema and its attitude towards its female stars running all the way through it. The premise is that the director/cameraman is a long-time ultimate fan of Jhangiani, and she has agreed to let him film her in her own home, a day-in-the-life-of premise which works incredibly well in the face of the Bollywood stereotype. This is illustrated in the opening scene: Jhangiani walks slowly and dramatically towards an unnamed male actor. She grasps his face in her hand and kisses him deeply and passionately. Her facial expressions are pained and very over-dramatised. And then, brilliantly, the camera zooms out and pans away from a TV screen to Jhangiani’s sitting room where she stands looking sceptical, hands on hips, and demands whether the cameraman is admiring her kissing skills. We aren’t to be drawn into this melodramatic world of Bollywood cinema. Instead, we are to meet the real deal. And the real Preeti Jhangiani doesn’t have blue eyes as the soupy Bollywood intro would have you believe. Jhangiani is the archetypal successful starlet. Throughout the 30 minutes of screen time she shows herself as someone who oozes confidence. She knows how to play this cameraman, this superfan, because it is what she’s learnt to do to remain successful. She envelops him in her dramatic monologues, engaging him only to break the tension with a giggle and a flick of her hair. And yet beneath this, the conversation always goes back to how attractive she is, how desirable, how jealous he is of her teddy bear that it gets to sleep in her bed. And therein lies the weakness in the armour she has perfected over the course of her career: that despite her self-confidence and her ability to charm men, she still relies on their compliments and attention. It isn’t a new story, the one of the sex-symbol starlet who wants to be taken seriously. Marilyn Monroe is probably the most famous example of this tragic situation. It is this element which leads to the startling exit from a Realism mockumentary and leaves us with a sudden slasher-flick ending – Preeti has had enough of fans who tell her they would do anything for her. She wants the cameraman to make the ultimate sacrifice. The Masterpiece ends nicely with a final scene that is obviously supposed to be the moment when Jhangiani agrees to take part in the film we just saw, which gives a sinister edge, and which reminds us why this film occurred in the first place: the voyeuristic attitude towards Celebrity in our global culture is dangerously unhealthy. Not only do we still cling to paparazzi photography, we now have access to the lives of the most famous people in the world via Instagram and Snapchat. Our favourite celebrities at our fingertips. Clearly, judging from this film, it is not just a Western phenomenon. And with the knowledge of the violent sexual assaults that have occurred in India in recent years there is obviously a seriously skewered and sinister view of women and feminine sexuality both in Indian society and in its screen media. What we can take from this is the positive step forward made by director Tanmay Singh in creating this short film. He has presented a complex study of fame and femininity and should be applauded for doing so. #ShortFilmReviews #KirstyAsher #WorldCinema #Mockumentary #TanmaySingh #PreetiJhangiani

★★★★ Directed by Jon Watts Starring Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Jon Favreau Film Review by Brian Degning Spider-Man: Homecoming is the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe which sees the company's most recognizable figure, Spider-Man, in his third big screen incarnation. This time the character is played by Tom Holland and takes place almost directly after Captain America: Civil War where our hero is learning to balance crime fighting and high school all while trying to impress his mentor, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) and gain admittance to the Avengers. Things get even more complicated when a group of high tech arms dealers, led by Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton), begin terrorizing the city. The thing that most separates Spider-Man: Homecoming from other summer blockbusters is its focus on character and its smaller scale. While there are plenty of action scenes and a few big set pieces the film spends a large amount of time with our hero in school and his relationships with his best friend and, of course, the object of his affections. Holland manages the perfect balance of vulnerable, geeky teenager and brave do-gooder effortlessly giving the audience an immediate connection to him. Tom Holland has such a charm and innocence, while at the same time a determination and bravery that perfectly encapsulates the character and allows you to smile when he is happy and feel his pain when he is against the odds. Aside from just the performance Holland brings, the script and direction works exceptionally well in portraying that yes, he is super powered and is capable of amazing things but, at the end of the day, he is still just a child. This adds to the sense of excitement and danger, as well as the fun, that previous big screen versions may have lacked. There is one scene with Keaton and Holland facing off inside a car, which demonstrates this to perfection. This brings us to Michael Keaton as the film's villain, ‘The Vulture’. This is a character which, on paper, was always going to be hard to translate to the screen, and done poorly, could have derailed the film. Happily, this is not the case and Keaton is fantastic. He manages to be both terrifying and sympathetic at the same time, his character both a father and working class hero while also being cold and ruthless. One of the big criticisms levelled at Marvel Studios is that their villains are weak and by the numbers, not so here as Keaton manages to work wonders with the material at his disposal. While Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr provide solid support, it is Jacob Batalon, as Peter’s best friend Ned, who shines just as brightly, providing comic relief and, alongside Holland, one half of a very endearing double act. The direction is also spot on, with the action scenes being exciting but never over the top, an elevator rescue seen is a stand out, and the scenes at school or in Peter’s room being intimate and character focused. There are a few very funny and clever references to other ‘coming of age’ films such as The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off that really show exactly what this film is, a teen drama with super powers. Visually Spider-Man: Homecoming is good and has a very clear sense of scale, jumping seamlessly from street level to skyscraper without the viewer ever feeling disorientated. The only real negatives are that, like most of the MCU filmography, this as times feels like a spinoff or the latest part in a bigger story as opposed to a truly great stand-alone film, there is also some pacing issues and the feeling that this is the first part of a bigger story, as opposed to a contained single adventure, does leave a sense of anticipation rather than satsfaction. However these issues do not take away from what is a fun, exciting and funny superhero adventure. Watch the official Spider-Man: Homecoming movie trailer below... #FilmReviews #TheatricalReleases #Superheroes #Marvel #BrianDegning #JonWatts #TomHolland #MichaelKeaton #JonFavreau

Directed by Jo Bareun Starring Balgan Batjargal Short Film Review by Leonardo Goi All too often short films are blamed for trying to address too much in too short a time. Jo Bareun’s Vibration is an exception to the rule. It tells a story that could have easily turned into a feature-length film and does it in just over thirteen minutes. But a brilliant plot twist, intelligent directing and superb acting turn it into a remarkable short feature. While sorting through his late wife’s belongings, an Asian widower (Balgan Batjargal) living in an unidentified British town makes an unexpected discovery: his wife owned a vibrator. Unsure about the exact nature and function of the dildo, the man first uses it to massage his back, until the sight of a sex-shop window during a late-night stroll clears all doubts. Furious, the widower embarks on a quest to destroy the dildo, which proves unsuccessful: the vibrator resists all smashing, cannot be broken, and keeps buzzing even underwater. No, Vibration is not an ad for the world’s strongest sex toy, nor is it a cheap, tasteless comedy that works by making fun of its grieving protagonist. For even during its most ironic and surreal moments, Vibration remains a profoundly sad tale. Bareun does not all too simply tell the story of a man fighting against a dildo, but a widower struggling to square the idyllic image of his late wife with a life she never shared with him. No words are uttered during Vibration’s 13 minutes, and the loudest noise comes from the dildo’s buzz. The fact that the feature is able to say so much with no words speaks volumes of the talent required to make the experiment work. That irony and pain coexist so graciously is a testament to Bareun’s directing skills and his ability to convey so much through a minimalist style that seems to document the widower’s grief as opposed to dramatising it. But much of Vibration’s success must be credited to Batjargal’s superb performance. The old man must not only fight with his late wife’s past, but with the city and culture he is immersed in, but never fully a part of. Bareun’s directing and Batjargal’s performance turn both into foreign lands. The widower is an alien in his wife’s secret life as he is in a country whose customs he does not seem to understand, and walks clumsily in both. Billy Godfrey’s sound production and Song Minwoo’s cinematography make Vibration a joy to hear and watch. It is thanks to the spotless sound design that the dildo’s buzz eventually takes up an obsessive undertone worthy of Edgar Allan Poe’s Tell-Tale Heart, while the palette intelligently mirrors the protagonist’s feelings, shifting from cold to brighter hues as the feature reaches its cathartic ending. Vibration will probably go down as the first short film in which the lead character buries his late wife’s dildo. But it will also, and more importantly, go down as the brilliant and much needed proof that short films, if written, shot and acted with intelligence and empathy, can achieve so much in such short time. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #LeonardoGoi #Drama #JoBareun #BalganBatjargal

★★★ Written & Directed by Sam Toller Starring Sam Toller, Layla Madanat, Arthur Godden, Danii Van Der Vliet Indie Film Review by Chris Olson British coming-of-age indie film Alan is a quintessentially teenage movie. Featuring emotional growing pains galore and enough first world problems to sink a yacht, the titular Alan is played by Sam Toller, who also writes and directs the film. As with most movies where the filmmaker wears hats behind and in front of the camera, there is a large dose of self-indulgence here, but also a considerable amount of promise. Alan is on the precipice of manhood. A plethora of achievements behind him, his biggest fear is that he has peaked too early. With the daunting task of attempting to get into Cambridge being one of several issues he currently faces, our protagonist experiences what can only be described as a mid-life crisis at the age of 17. His girlfriend Em (Danii Van Der Vliet) is aloof in her responses to Alan's tireless affections, all those around Alan continually tell him how great he is, leading to immeasurably high expectations which choke him, and to top it off...he can't seem to get served in pubs unless he has a beard! There exists a heart to Toller's story which is universal in its appeal and compelling in its execution. The idea that you are your own worst enemy when it comes to the idea of "failure". Alan's problem is not that Cambridge might reject him or that his girlfriend might dump him, it's that he judges his own self-worth on what others expect of him. His arc during the story explores this in great detail, with plenty of pathos and emotion. The film is too baggy, and could do with trimming a good half an hour from the running time. Limiting Alan's endless monologues about his woes to single digits would be a good start. Also, the dialogue is chock full of needless exposition which could have been communicated far more effectively with the excellent animation which does appear several times, or by cutting it altogether. Toller seems intent on making sure he tells the audience everything that is going on between the lines. Alan is not a particularly enigmatic central character, and to base a film solely on his presence is a tall order. The film would have benefitted from sub plots which referred to characters that were not "smart arses" who also experience difficulty facing their futures. In particular Chrissie (Layla Madanat) who is Alan's BFF, who is wonderfully humorous and entertaining. Whilst Toller is pretty mediocre in front of the camera, he proves himself very worthy behind it. The filmmaking is excellently delivered, with brilliantly framed sequences between Alan and his friends, as well as a few nods of the head to a filmmaker like Edgar Wright with quick cuts and sharp editing (among other more obvious references). The score is scrappy in most places, relying on an uncomfortable mix of genres, although one sequence involving an acoustic song over some nostalgic home footage was specifically affecting. It would have been nice to see Toller direct someone else as the lead. His skills as a filmmaker punctuate the movie continuously, but sequences of him alone with the camera are startlingly ineffective. The ensemble cast seem to flourish under his direction, with many actors delivering excellent performances. Overall, this seems like a C+ but shows great potential for a future filmmaking career. Watch the official Movie Trailer for Alan below... #IndieFilmReviews #ChrisOlson #IndieFilms #ComingofAge #SamToller #LaylaMadanat #DaniiVanDerVliet #ArthurGodden

★ Written & Directed by Maxim Ford Starring Taylor Sands, Danielle Rose, Pawel Hajnos Indie Film Review by Andrew Galvin The rise of the ease of access to hardcore pornography has caused a lot of problems for Western society, but it’s had one advantage: soft porn nonsense posing as art has died away in recent years. Clearly no one has told writer-director Maxim Ford, whose debut feature Picture of Beauty has pretensions to musing on the nature of repression. It isn’t. Instead, what we have here is a grubby and sleazy view of women from the male gaze, which manages to be about as erotic as tarmac. Everything about Picture of Beauty feels cheap and dirty: from the televisual cinematography of the cold-open so-mo words run, to the sets when the action moves indoors. The brothel scene, which sets up as much of the “story” as we’re ever going to get—look so unconvincing, you can practically see the sets swaying in the lightest of breeze. Of course, soft porn has never really suffered from bountiful budgets; the best star that the Emmanuel films of the 90s was aging failed Bond George Lazenby, after all. But this is only the start of the problems here. The performers, without exception, are terrible. Lead actress Taylor Sands is a porn actress by trade and it shows in every frame: sure she can pout prettily like the best of them, but when it comes to delivering lines she sounds like a toddler just learning to speak for the first time. Everyone else emotes in the most childish way possible, delivering a script that doesn’t even sound like it finished its first draft. This is probably because the story is pure afterthought: a flimsy excuse to move from slo-mo bum-shaking sequence to sex-scene to male-fantasy lesbian rutting. These scenes go on forever too. The sheer length of each shot in these sequences suggests that there wasn’t enough material for the runtime. That’s pretty impressive for a 70-minute film. And that’s where we should call it a day. This film review hasn’t even had a chance to comment on the Big Fat Gypsy Wedding-style comedy European music that plays constantly and the baffling lurch towards feminism in the final scenes, but why kick a dead dog when it’s down? And this film is a dead dog and a half. #IndieFilmReviews #AndrewGalvin #1Star #Erotic #MaximFord #TaylorSands #DanielleRose #PawelHajnos

★★★★ Directed by Sofia Coppola Starring Francesca Dotto, Antonio Poli, Roberto Frontali, & Anna Malawasi Film Review by Chris Olson With the release of The Beguiled also this month, audiences will be forgiven for overlooking filmmaker Sofia Coppola's other film out in July 2017. Based on the classic Verdi opera, Coppola directs a live production of the Italian tragedy La Traviata, in a way which is intensely dramatic and poignant. The story is of a courtesan named Violetta (Francesca Dotto), whose entrance back into society follows a particularly nasty case of tuberculosis. Her illness and woes are almost forgotten, though, after a party at her house leads to her introduction to Alfredo (Antonio Poli). The latter apparently is more than enamoured with Violetta, and did indeed visit her countless times during her suffering, unbeknownst to our protagonist. However, their budding romance faces numerous trials, as relatives and society do their best to get in the way, and the spectre of ill-health looms. Thematically there is a lot to chew on with La Traviata, and Sofia Coppola's revival manages to visually highlight many of these themes spectacularly. The use of a gigantic staircase with Violetta at the bottom is painfully representative of her station in life, not to mention her sense of self worth. Another excellent sequence where Alfredo attempts to woo her is sumptuous in its emotional impact. The two performers coalesce on stage, creating a visual and audial harmony that is simply arresting. As with any great opera, the orchestra is paramount to creating the foundation for the story to unfold on. The musicians of the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma achieve an outstanding score that delicately balances the intimacy of the love story, with the bold and vibrant social structures which form the unspoken landscape. Moments of tenderness between the two central characters get effectively juxtaposed with larger group scenes that fill the stage with spectacle. As the live audience cheer, the viewer will be unable to prevent themselves from feeling emboldened, or even engaging in a mini air punch, such is the impact of Coppola's achievement. Films like this rarely find a large audience. Not only are operas difficult to market, live events also pose their own set of particular hurdles. The filmmaking relies heavily on the same camera angles (an obvious result of the restrictions found in filming inside a theatre), and Italian vocals will be off-putting to anyone unfamiliar with the form. That being said, in the wake of critically successful movies like La La Land and The Artist, there exists a definite hunger for films that resemble "classic cinema", and this has a spectacle about it that is hugely appealing. Not to mention the costumes from Valentino Garavani, which are stunning. If you are looking for your entryway into live operas and the work of Verdi, Coppola proves herself a masterful conductor. Watch the official movie trailer for La Traviata below... #FilmReviews #ChrisOlson #SofiaCoppola #TheatricalReleases #LiveCinema #Opera #WorldCinema

Written and Directed by Pavel Burianek Editing and Cinematography by Ondrej Zezula Starring Pavel Burianek, Rudolf Sykora Short Film Review by Euan Franklin Fading into an unsettling, monochrome environment we follow the painfully expressionless Paul (Pavel Burianek) exiting a tram, walking down a dark tunnel, entering his flat, pouring crisps into a bowl, and sitting in front of the football. But then the TV fizzes away from the game to live footage of Paul’s sitting room. It cuts to shots in his bathroom. Then to the hallway. Every room is being recorded. Suddenly, we have a brief flash of the dark-cloaked assailant responsible. Paul goes to investigate, with horrifying consequences. The premise, once we finally reach it, is scary and unsettling. The idea of being watched by several hidden cameras is enough for any viewer to feel uncomfortable in their own home. It taps into a modern paranoia about outside voyeurs – looking and seeing what they shouldn’t. This mixes well with the horror genre and The Visitor has elements of Paranormal Activity and, to a lesser extent, Lost Highway, in its digital scopophobia. This was the strongest aspect of the short, but it wasn’t taken full advantage of. Writer/director Paul Burianek seemed more entranced by the way he walks, pours crisps, and turns on the television. As with many student horrors, we have to wade through many minutes of unpolished mundanity before we get to anything good. Building up the spectacle is an admirable quality in a horror film – but not when the spectacle is all there is. These exhausting opening scenes possess nothing related to the theme (if you can call it that), nothing related to the character (if there is one), and nothing contributing to the overall story. Student horrors often have an indolent tendency to have the first piece of excitement at the end rather than the start. The Visitor is no different. The premise concludes the film, bleeding away our reasons for watching. Part of what makes horror films scary, even the mediocre ones, is empathy with characters. We have to care in order to fear. Granted, there are many examples where character development is clearly not a priority – since we want to see blood and be afraid. But empathy makes our palms sweat and our body pulse, gnaws at us until we’re afraid to turn out the light. In The Visitor, we have Paul: the typical student-film vision of apathy. He’s played by the director, who clearly couldn’t be bothered to find an actor with more than one expression. The creepy atmosphere is severed by this flat, underperformed character. I don’t care if Paul dies – in fact, I look forward to it. It’s also clear that we’re not the only ones bored at the beginning. Cinematographer Ondrej Zezula introduces the film with unimaginative interiors (crisps, TV etc.), but makes amends with lucid tracking shots on Paul as searches for the presence inside his house. The shift in atmosphere is unnerving – creating fear from an uneventful script. However, the lack of consideration into the mise-en-scène wanes away some of that fear. The Visitor doesn’t feel complete – there’s something missing from every department, which should be expected from a crew of two. First-time efforts are always embarrassing, but this one didn’t feel too painful. There are some good parts, but it’s ultimately let down by a monotonous beginning, which I only just managed to squirm through. I’m afraid this particular Visitor is more like a Jehovah’s Witness than a murderer: annoying rather than scary. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #EuanFranklin #PavelBurianek #OndrejZezula #RudolfSykora

Directed and written by Nick Barrett Starring Johnny Vivash, Eilania Alminas and Matthew Hebden Short Film Review by Rachel Pullen Estate agents you either hate them or you are one, and for the majority of the population who don't resided themselves to such a career, seeing a smug middle class, London based estate agent get his comeuppance is certainly an enjoyable experience. So wait no longer, Nick Barrett's horror short Devil Town, serves up just that. Set in London we see our lead role, estate agent Patrick, played by Matthew Hebden, doing what rich estate agents do best, chatting on the phone about important deals, being ignorant to the needs of the poor and getting over prices coffee. But during his daily caffeine splurge he is confronted by a scruffy homeless looking man called Driscoll, played by Johnny Vivash, who starts to inform him of the end of the world, what follows next is an intense and dark conversation full of twists and revelations that will keep the viewing on the edge of their seats. Devil Town is a sharp and visual juxtaposition, we see these two characters, both so different in appearance as well as personality, both so eager in getting their point across, be it to listen or to leave that we, as an audience feel like we are watching the final at Wimbledon. But that's not a bad thing, the script in this piece is compelling and intriguing, it gives enough information for you to piece together the purpose of the short, but also does not spoon feed you the answers, like Patrick you must make sense of the information being told to you and decide whether you believe it or not. This piece builds up and crescendos in beautiful manner, taking timing, music [which was all scored by Nick Barrett himself] and suspense into consideration, Barrett makes Devil Town a refreshing addition to the idea of the body snatcher genre, something that I feel has not been tackled for sometime within the horror community, as well as the idea that a good horror can simply come from a chilling tale, much like the ones we were told as children. So if you looking for suspense, fear, intellect and poor people sticking it to the arrogant and the rich, or a something where you can relate your unrelenting hatred of estate agents to, then Devil Town is a must watch for you. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #RachelPullen #NickBarrett #JohnnyVivash #EilaniaAlminas #MatthewHebden

Written, Produced & Directed by David Hastings Starring Steve Salt, Charlie Clarke, Ernest Vernon Short Film Review by Taryll Baker GRID is what I’d call the perfect short film, if there were ever such a thing. Within it’s 26 minute duration, it manages to accomplish so much. The main bulk of the film consists of two conversations; one running just over 15 minutes. Angie Wordsworth (Charlie Clarke) meets Daniel (Steven Salt), a patient cruelly afflicted with the then-unidentified AIDS virus. Over the course of their meeting, a touching bond is formed. There’s two ways a dialogue-driven film could go. It could be interesting, investing, or it could be boring, uneventful. Luckily, David Hastings is a talented writer, and has the skill required to intrigue and entertain. But it’s the performances from the three lead actors that really sell it. Charlie Clarke, Steven Salt and Ernest Vernon take great care in the deliverance of lines. The pauses, the eyes, the body language. It’s all beautifully played out, and entirely convincing. As well as writing the screenplay, Hastings sits behind the camera as director. He works beside director of photography and score composer, Joshua LA Baggott, who captures the mood perfectly, both visually and musically. There’s a tremendous warmth present in Baggott’s original synth-driven score. It’s a nod to the classic soundtracks of the ‘80s, and becomes a very well-suited and impactful supplement. He and Hastings seem to have a strong professional relationship, which is visible in the final product. Alongside its successful beats, are some technical issues; one of which was lighting. There’s a couple shots in the middle of the film where the grading was slightly too dark, nothing drastic, but just enough to be jarring. That said, with a film on this scale, I wouldn’t expect any reshoots or further editing to take place, especially when taking budget into account. The other issue was sound. There were a few moments I had to adjust my volume accordingly. This is a potentially easy fix, and possibly something James Hall and Chris Armitage had discussed, but it was only something that jumped out to me personally. In retrospect, I found GRID highly entertaining. It’s a subtle, important look at how illness can change not only the individual, but the people around them. To quote the film’s description; “in our darkest moments, humanity & love will always find a way to shine through.” Watch this film with that one sentence in mind. It’s wonderfully crafted and lovingly handled by all involved. #LGBT #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFIlms #TaryllBaker #DavidHastings #SteveSalt #CharlieClarke #ErnestVernon #Drama

Directed by Danny Deller Starring Ieuan Keir, Aisling Lynch Short Film Review by Evie Brudenall It’s often during our darkest hours that we confront out personal demons and reflect upon the choices we’ve made, and Danny Deller’s short In Darkness explores just that. After Niall’s (Ieuan Keir) girlfriend Hope (Aisling Lynch) is hospitalised due to being hit by a car, Niall begins to ponder life and the many complexities it poses as he waits to see whether or not she’ll pull through. A sober voiceover narrates a very poetic and philosophical spiel about life, positing many questions and things to be considered in the process. However, the narration can at times feel convoluted and nothing more than an attempt to create a short riddled with quotable dialogue, such as, “Some say life is too short, but life is the longest thing we will ever get to experience”. It’s a profound thought, but is ultimately meaningless in In Darkness, but Keir delivers it with hearty conviction that it manages to maintain some potency. Through flashbacks, we bare witness to the couple arc of Niall and Hope. They start off their journey as two individuals completely in love with one another but as time goes on, cracks in their relationship begin to appear. Hope sits by the phone, expectantly waiting for it to ring – but the call never comes. A rift has developed between them and the emotional distance has grown too great for any bridge to reconnect them. The love loss is portrayed effectively by Keir and Lynch whose performances are scored by a wonderful composition by Michael Vignola. The soliloquy in the film’s final moments posits whether one bad choice can define a person for the rest of their life. Since we’ve only spent the best part of five and a half minutes with Niall, it’s hard to gauge whether that sentiment is applicable to our central character after witnessing some of the behaviour he exhibited toward Hope. As a character, he rouses very little sympathy from the audience, but people aren’t perfect and mistakes are inevitably made. I just wish Niall had shown some likable traits post his break-up with Hope to make the aforementioned argument more compelling. Whilst presenting some interesting and thought-provoking ideas, In Darkness is a relationship melodrama that is weakened by the story told within its flashbacks. It falters, but fortunately, never flat lines. #ShortFilmReviews #DannyDeller #EvieBrudenall #IeuanKeir #AislingLynch #FilmReviews