★★★ Directed by: #BenMole Written by: #LukeBailey Starring: #StephenMoyer, #RonanSummers, #AlecNewman Film review by: William Hemingway London has always tended to have a chequered love affair with its most notorious criminals. Unsure whether to venerate or vilify them the city instead chooses to hold onto and retell their stories – cautionary tales to stun and astound the weary traveller who doesn't yet understand the machinations of a London that lies just beneath the surface. Characters such as Jack The Ripper have passed into legend, others such as Sweeney Todd were written into legend, and more recently gangsters such as The Kray Twins have been passed off as legend, quite literally in the 2015 film dedicated to the sibling psychopaths which was titled as such. To date there have been countless documentaries and at least four feature films trying to get to the heart or the missing soul of London's most popular gangsters. Most notable of these are the 1990 self-titled thriller, The Krays starring the Kemp brothers, and the aforementioned Legend, which broke the mould by having Tom Hardy play the role of both twins. Added to this list now comes Code Of Silence, a film that also tries to take a different track when retreading the tired old story by focusing not so much on the murderous malcontents themselves, but more on the copper trying to bring them to book. Detective Leonard 'Nipper' Read tried to nick the Kray Twins in 1965 but ended up losing all of his witnesses to the culture of fear that permeated London at the time. Two years later he got the opportunity to try again and this time he was determined not to fail. Code Of Silence follows Read (Moyer) and his team as they pore over thousands of documents and try to piece together the last few years' activities of The Firm – the rogues gallery of London gangsters headed up by the Krays. With everybody keeping shtum the team look for any angle they can exploit, all the way down to the classic Al Capone trap of nailing the twins on their accounts and taxes, which inevitably triggers a comparison from one of the coppers to the 'Untouchables'. Unfortunately, The Untouchables (1987) this is not. Whereas Brian De Palma's classic portrays the fuzz as charismatic defenders of justice cleaning up the streets of their city, Code Of Silence tries to stick (mostly) to realism where the Bobbies on the beat are just regular Joes who conduct their police business from empty warehouses and small rooms filled with brown boxes. By shifting the focus away from the crime and the criminals the story loses a large measure of its razzle dazzle, as well as much of its tension and scope. The entire scenario of the film barely shifts from a single location, leaving us the viewers, to imagine much of the horror and brutality and fear exhibited upon the general public of London for ourselves. Attempts are made by director Ben Mole to widen the vision of the story at points, by introducing short fast-frame intermezzos more akin to a Guy Ritchie movie, as well as pulling his characters out of their own timeline to have them witness real time re-enactments in the past. Neither of these techniques really work though, mostly because they jar so much with the overall style and feel of the movie and its focus on run-of-the-mill police work. These little asides are appreciated however, as they break up the monotony of the basic story. Technically, Code Of Silence comes across as very accomplished, with its camerawork, direction and sound editing all being top notch. The cast, too, all give strong performances and round out their characters into three dimensional people, with Ronan Summers being of particular note as he tackles the confusing trickery of playing both Ronnie and Reggie, each with their own little idiosyncrasies. Stephen Moyer is solid and stoic as Det. Read and acts as a strong lynchpin for the whole film to revolve around, which is just as well because he's in pretty much every frame of the movie. Overall, Code Of Silence never really gets off the ground as a touted Kray Twins film. Its limited setting and fleeting glances of the real life crime involved serve to keep it firmly rooted in the routine and desk work of policing. While this perhaps keeps things more realistic and indicative of what actually happened, it also negates a more interesting, cinematic style of storytelling, leaving a distinct feeling of having watched an extended edition of The Bill. As Alfred Hitchcock once said, “What is drama, after all, but life with the dull bits cut out”; what we seem to have here is something of the opposite, 'life with all the dramatic bits cut out' and that in itself is probably the film's biggest crime. #WilliamHemingway Watch Code of Silence Here.

★★★ Directed by: #StevenAJohnson Written by: Steven A. Johnson Starring: #CarmeloViviani, #TomKeller, #OliverMalam, #AnthonyHarwood Indie Film Review by: Corey Bulloch Loyalty is a recurring theme in Steven A. Johnson’s crime drama, how the purest or insidious of allegiances forge the direction of our lives. Johnson’s film revolves around a group of friends reunited in tragedy, and to honour their shared loyalty, decide to finish something that gets them embroiled in a criminal conspiracy. The wordy title The Moment Trap - The Lennon Dream refers to the character’s filmmaking background, having sought artistic careers when younger but now have all settled into unexciting existence. Especially Mickey, whose dead-end lifestyle has led to recurring dreams about the death of John Lennon, pushing him deeper into his rash decision making. Though the motifs of Lennon’s death and criminal elements allow for some interesting visual and editorial flourishes, the memorable strength of the film is the core friendship. It’s a bit of a slow start in introducing and understanding the contexts of the characters, all of them receiving phone calls about the death of their mutual friend Arav, a documentary filmmaker. The film he was working on investigating a potential parking scam conspiracy in London, Mickey, Frankie, Sherbert, Bay decide to finish the film for the money, not realising the truth in what their friend may have uncovered. The detail in Johnson’s script allows the dialogue to give a lived-in feel to the characters; though some motivations are the usual, it avoids the impression of stock characters. Johnson takes the time to set up his central characters, so when Mickey decides to kidnap corrupt parking warden Clyde, the excitement comes from the personal drama between friends rather than threats of criminal retaliation. Though the criminal retaliation also has its moments. Performance-wise, The Moment Trap - The Lennon Dream has its standouts, I particularly enjoyed the work of Oliver Malam as the exasperated Frankie who is constantly trying to be the voice of reason, and Anthony Harwood as the kidnapped Clyde, whose overwhelmed panic sells the danger quite well. Again, while Johnson casts a wide net of ideas in his film, the best part of the film is the complicated simplicity of those five characters in that living room trying to figure out what to do next. Characters buy into the idea that they’re enacting justice, realisations and revelations, bargaining and frustration. While the metaphorical notions of Lennon, assassination to silence truth, and artistry are interesting, this almost chamber film of friends digging themselves deeper into a hole driven by misguided loyalty is far more engaging. The Moment Trap - The Lennon Dream doesn’t necessarily bite off more than it can chew but rather focuses on elements that aren’t clear. Johnson has something great in the centre of the film but the broader themes need sharpening to make a more cohesive picture. It falls into cliché in some places but its core performances keep a nice grounding and make for an interesting story. #CoreyBulloch #Indiefilm

★★★★ Directed by #FlorianZeller Written by #ChristopherHampton #FlorianZeller Starring #AnthonyHopkins #OliviaColeman Film Review by George Wolf How much you’re moved by The Father will likely depend on how you see the central narrative device employed by director/co-writer Florian Zeller. Is it a gimmick that cheapens the very subject he’s digging into, or is it an effective – even logical – new frame for a familiar picture? Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Coleman star as father and daughter Anthony and Anne. Now, with these Oscar winners as your leads, your device could be the mail-in offer from the back of a cereal box and it would most likely be riveting, but Zeller has more lofty ambitions. Anthony’s memory is fading fast, forcing Anne to navigate his mood swings and growing combativeness while she looks for an in-home caregiver who can handle him. Young Laura (Imogen Poots) looks promising, but Anthony’s initial charm at their meeting gives way to insults and accusations about a plan to force him from his well-appointed flat. But is it his flat? And who is the man in the living room (Mark Gatiss) who says he lives there? Is Anne really planning to move to Paris with a new boyfriend, or is she still married to the impatient and angry Paul (Rufus Sewell)? And just who is that other woman who looks like Anne (Olivia Williams)? Zeller adapts his own stage play with a profound intimacy that feeds the intentional confusion. In the last several years, movies such as Away From Her and Amour have mined their greatness through the effect of dementia on the longtime spouse of the afflicted. But here, not only does Zeller make a sympathetic pivot to the adult child of an ailing parent, but his chamber piece finds its greatest resonance through the heartbreaking empathy that comes from giving us Anthony’s point of view. And even if the whole affair does strike you as gimmicky, the transcendent heights hit by Hopkins and Coleman (and indeed, the entire ensemble) make spending time with The Father more than worthwhile. As artistic as it is nuanced, as lyrical as it is devastating, it’s a film with not only something to say, but a welcome new approach to saying it. #GeorgeWolf Watch The Father Free Online.

★★ Directed by #DarrenLynnBousman Written by #JoshStolberg #PeteGoldfinger Starring #ChrisRock #SamuelLJackson #MaxMinghella Film Review by Hope Madden It’s been five years since we’ve had a new episode in the Saw series. I know! You thought it was longer, right? That’s because the last iteration, 2017’s Jigsaw, was so lackluster and forgettable that you forgot it. Well, what if they go in a new direction? (Not really, but at least there are name actors.) What if they bring in filmmakers from the series heyday? Not James Wan and Leigh Whannell. I mean, they have bigger fish to fry. But Darren Lynn Bousman, the guy who directed Saws 2, 3 & 4, is on board. Along with the scribes who penned Jigsaw, Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger. To summarize, the guys who wrote the worst episode in the Saw franchise have returned with a middling director to take a borderline novel direction for the 9th chapter. But Chris Rock! He’s not enough. Neither is Samuel L. Jackson. We open, as we must, on the first victim. We wander with him into what he doesn’t realize—although we surely do, unless you are very new to this franchise—is a trap, and one that will not end well. So far so good, to be honest. If this is the kind of horror you enjoy and you aren’t sick beyond words of it just yet, the opening gag is serviceable. Then we cut to Det. Zeke Banks (Rock), undercover and getting off a couple funny lines concerning the Forrest Gump universe. Nice. But don’t get comfortable because within minutes we’re dropped into Zeke’s precinct, where the coppiest of all the cops vie for most obviously borrowed cop cliché. Undercover without backup?! You’re off the rails! Do not team me with a rookie. You know I work alone! You’re too close! And so many more sentences articulated with need of an exclamation point. Zeke is, indeed, teamed with a rookie (Max Minghella), the only cop in the precinct who doesn’t hate him for what he did years ago… Sam Jackson’s kind of fun, though. And it’s hard not to hope that the excruciating opening act exposition and cop grandstanding is all a way to quickly build the world in which these cleverly planned, torturous games are played. It is not. It is the whole movie. And it isn’t clever, it isn’t fun, it isn’t gory, it isn’t scary. It isn’t necessary. #HopeMadden Watch Spiral: From the Book of Saw Free Online.

★★★ Directed by #ZackSnyder Written by #ChrisTerrio #ZackSnyder #WillBeal #JerrySiegel #JoeShuster Starring #HenryCavill #BenAffleck #GalGadot Film Review by George Wolf No matter what you thought of Justice League 1.0, the mere arrival of this “Snyder Cut” is fascinating on multiple levels. It’s more than the Everest of fan service. There just isn’t any way Snyder’s DCEU epic – this version of it anyway – would exist without the Snyder/Whedon mashup mess of 2017. It’s four freaking hours, people! You think Snyder’s gonna get that (and the extra millions for reshoots) without the whole hashtag campaign? But while the extended time and money giveth, they also taketh away, meaning that first JL debacle can take some ironic credit for all that’s better – and worse – about round two. But it is indeed better. More than anything, it’s a singular vision. The first was nothing if not a super-sized compromise, but this is Snyder unbound, no compromises. The 4:3 format is enriched with greatly improved CGI, specifically the “armor of scales” appearance of Steppenwolf (voiced by Ciaran Hinds), the underwater depths of Atlantis and the complete absence of Superman’s (Henry Cavill, again a perfect Clark Kent) distractingly altered upper lip. The character development – as you would hope with this run time – is much more satisfying, especially with the two justice leaguers we know the least: Flash (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher). And while truly important moments (Superman’s death and rebirth, for example) get the extra time they need to resonate, Snyder can still linger too long (those mini music videos, ugh) when he could be moving on. Ben Affleck reminds you he’s a fine grizzled Batman, Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman gets more badass moments and fewer leering camera angels, and at its core, the basic plot remains the same. Steppenwolf is seeking to unite the three “mother boxes” that will conquer another world for his master Darkseid (voiced by Ray Porter). But with the nurturing of return characters and the welcome appearance of new ones (like Darkseid), the chaptered storytelling feels more natural and complete. Yes it is dark and brooding, and this League may hold the mother lode of daddy issues, but it never becomes tedious. And while you can’t quite call it fun, it is super, and heroic, and sometimes thrilling. The stinger (actually an epilogue)? It’s a humdinger (nothing rhymes with epilogue), one that will more than satisfy the die hards while setting a major hook for more justice, darkly served. #GeorgeWolf Watch the 2017 Justice League Free Online.

★★★★ Directed by: #LoreneScafaria Written by: Lorene Scafaria #JessicaPressler Starring: #JenniferLopez #ConstanceWu #JuliaStiles Film Review by: #GeorgeWolf “You don’t have to believe me. I’m used to people not believing me.” “Destiny” (Constance Wu) is telling her tale to Elizabeth (Julia Stiles), a writer in the midst of a story on a gang of high-end strippers who were busted for drugging clients and fleecing them for thousands. The disclaimer is a clear yet-not-overbearing sign that our window into the world of Hustlers may not necessarily be the most clear and reliable. It’s one of many wise choices made by writer/director Lorene Scafaria in her adaptation of Jessica Pressler’s article on “The Hustlers at Scores.” Wu is terrific as the naive newbie, overshadowed only by a completely magnetic Jennifer Lopez as Ramona, the stripping legend who teaches Destiny (and by extension, us) the ropes of spotting the highest-rolling Wall St. d-bags to milk for all they can. But when the crash hits in ’08, times get tough for everybody, and it isn’t hard to justify hatching a plan to swindle the swindlers. Scafaria ((Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, The Meddler) is not shy about the Scorsese influences, and seeing Will Ferrell and Adam McKay as executive producers makes The Big Short-syled humor all the more understandable. No matter. This is still a supremely assured vision from Scafaria, cleverly constructed with visual flair, solid laughs, a sizzling pace and some truly memorable sequences. One of the many great soundtrack choices comes right out of the gate, as Scafaria set the stakes with Janet Jackson’s spoken-word opening to “Control.” Who’s got it? Who doesn’t? And who’s badass enough to go get it? It’s a wild, intoxicating high of girl power. And when it all comes crashing down, the moral ambiguities are scattered like dollar bills under the pole. As Ramona is quick to remind us, if there’s money being thrown, there will always be people ready to dance. Watch Hustlers free online.

★★★★ Directed by #JasonWoliner Written by #PeterBaynham #SachaBaronCohen Starring #SachaBaronCohen Film Review by George Wolf You may have already seen a headline or two about Rudy Giuliani’s run-in with Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat. When it happened this past July, Giuliani called the cops, and then boasted that Cohen didn’t “get him.” But now that Subsequent Moviefilm is here, we see Giuliani still lives in a world unhindered by reality, and Cohen still has a knack for finding cringeworthy humor in the most unseemly situations. Much as changed in Borat’s world – and ours – since his 2006 adventure brought shame to his native Kazakhstan, and earned him a life sentence of hard labor. But now, with the American president’s fondness for dictatorships, Borat has a chance for redemption. He must return to America, and get Kazakhstan on the short list for Trump’s “strongman club” by bribing Vice President Pence with a valuable offering. The gift? Borat’s 15 year-old daughter Tutar- also known as “Sandra Jessica Parker Sagdiyev” (Bulgarian actress Maria Bakalova, nearly Cohen’s equal for stone faced boundary-pushing.) Borat’s special delivery during Pence’s CPAC speech (beautifully synched to a COVID-19 reassurance of being “ready for anything!”) is rebuffed, so Giuliani becomes the next logical target. And that road to Rudy is filled with Cohen’s fearless hijinx, again skewering the breeding grounds for bigotry, ignorance, misogyny, anti-semitism, QAnon, Karens and..what else ya got? Pervy ex-mayors of NYC! But Borat is pranking a meaner America this time. There are no layers to peel away anymore, the ugliness is out and proud. From a bakery to a pregnancy center to a Tea Party rally, the often hilarious audacity is tempered by the sadness of realizing we no longer need Borat to expose this underbelly. So Cohen and director Jason Wolinar (a TV vet helming his first feature) make a smart and subtle pivot. Segments with Tutar’s “babysitter,” and another featuring two elderly Jewish ladies in a synagogue (one of which the film is dedicated to) mix the bracing humor with moments of touching sweetness. Cohen’s not going soft, just pausing to remind us there is hope. Early on, Borat has to run from random Americans excited to see him on the street. It’s a refreshing acknowledgment that we’ve seen this schtick before. Yes, it’s still shockingly brazen and often laugh out loud funny, but the thrill of discovery is naturally gone. But whether he’s Cohen posing as Borat or Borat posing as Cliff Safari (or John Chevrolet, take your pick), the comedy and the tragedy are nearly impossible to ignore, even if you want to. Right, Rudy? #GeorgeWolf Watch Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Free Online.

★★★★ Directed by: #JamesGray Written by: #JamesGray #EthanGross Starring: #BradPitt #TommyLeeJones #RuthNegga #LivTyler Film Review by #ChrisBuick Sometime in the near future, mankind has begun to look towards the stars for salvation, expanding the reach of human existence to other planets and sectors of the solar system in hopes of progression and answers. Space travel has not only evolved but has become an integral and everyday part of life. Pitt is Major Roy McBride, an astronaut with a lot of galactic miles under his belt and a reputation for staying incredibly calm under pressure. But Roy has a lot to live up to, constantly in the shadow of his father and space hero Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones), assumed to be dead after a deep space voyage to Neptune gone awry. When the Earth and the rest of the solar system is impacted by strange and destructive pulses, they are believed to be originating from the lost ship. Roy is then sent into space, tasked with communicating with his father, in the hopes of averting this impending disaster. Ad Astra may be one of the most visually stunning yet intimate dramas to come to screen in a long time. The influence of the ground-breaking sci-fi movies that came before it is evident, but director James Gray has very much carved out his own path here. Gray manages to fully capture the vast and awe-inspiring nature of space in a way that doesn’t seem over-polished, but enough to make your eyes fully widen as you watch rockets propel into space, buggies race across the surface of the Moon, or simply gaze at the beautiful deep blue of Neptune. It is a brilliant reminder of the wonders lying just outside our atmosphere, something that perhaps has been forgotten by more recent generations. Despite the unbelievable images on screen, the world that has been built here seems a bit more grounded. Humanity’s achievements may have taken them deep into the cosmos, but the very root of human nature is exposed here; the Moon, now completely colonized, is almost indistinguishable from Earth, while also being home to several nations, some of which are in constant war over resources. These touches key into the film’s bigger and more important questions about mankind’s folly and about our hopes for the future. Because of this, the film earns it’s bigger, more dramatic action set-pieces. From the opening five minutes where we see Roy literally tumbling miles and miles from space towards the ground, to the aforementioned lunar chase, these are moments that don’t ultimately feel out of place because of the extraordinary groundwork laid before it. The cast, while small and mostly secondary to Pitt, is also on point. Tommy Lee Jones is fantastic as expected in a limited but highly effective role, as are most of the supporting cast. But this is Roy’s story and Pitt at times is extraordinary to watch. His slow unravelling as he comes to terms with this abandonment issues, while also dealing with the psychological drain of being alone in space is brilliantly drawn out by an actor on truly great form. There are a couple of sight missteps. Most of Roy’s monologues that run throughout seem like unnecessary weight that jolt the film off its axis every so often, falling flat rather than adding anything substantial. And while his married life is a key part in the baggage Roy must face on his journey, the presence of Liv Tyler as his wife is so underused that for all the minimal impact those handful of scenes have, the film could easily have not included her at all, which is a shame for an actress of her calibre. Although it has the top-line premise of a disaster movie, Ad Astra is a beautifully crafted and deeply personal character driven drama, wonderfully played out on the biggest possible stage. Watch Ad Astra Free Online.

Directed by: Doug Liman Written by: Patrick Ness and Christopher Ford Starring: Tom Holland, Daisy Ridley and Mads Mikkelson Film Review by Robert Stayte Chaos Walking has had a hard long road to the screen, the rights were bought 10 years ago, shooting did not begin until 2017 and it spent a couple of years in post, being dogged by reshoots after problematic test screenings. Despite this, the talent involved could have made something special, unfortunately Chaos Walking is the opposite of special. In 2257 AD, on a human colonised planet called New World, the men have been afflicted with a new evolution that makes their thoughts audible, with society’s women have been wiped out the native alien race. Todd Hewitt (Tom Holland) comes across Viola Eade (Daisy Ridley), who has crash landed in a colony ship after being in space for decades. They both end up going on a journey to keep Viola safe, with the sinister mayor Prentiss (Mads Mikkleson) pursuing them. Chaos Walking certainly has remnants of an interesting storyline, but the final result is totally by the numbers in it’s story, not to mention uninventive and uninteresting. The troubled production does not show up much onscreen, but the reshoots and re-editing create a film that is coherent yet dull. The reveals are so stock and obvious that they are not surprising, and the film has a “location to location” chase narrative that so many other films have done before. This could have been fine if the characters were interesting, but they are not. Todd is your standard “young person who learns that things are not what they seem” protagonist and Viola is a blank slate with a goal but no personality. Their relationship dynamic is also very predictable, with the only good choice being not to hook them up romantically. Villains Prentiss and Aaron (David Oyelowo) are incredibly one dimensional and just rely on the actors to bring any personality. Davy (Nick Jonas), Prentiss’s son, gets setup but ends up being worthless. Doug Liman can make good and bad films, and this is by far one of his least impressive ones. His attempt at being gritty and low fi result in a supposed blockbuster that has no sense of scale and no impressive visuals. The whole thing is so low key and small that it could have easily been a TV pilot, especially seeing as how the entire thing takes place in the same woodland area. There is action on occasion but all of it is average and sometimes poorly filmed (a river fight especially), with an especially cheap climax and an abrupt ending. There is little sign of reshoots, aside from Ridley’s hair changing from braided at the beginning to brought down for the rest of the film, but the only stylistic flair is the “noise” element, but even that becomes distracting and annoying. If you want to hear the phrase “I’m Todd Hewitt” spoken 100 times, this is the movie for you. As for the acting, that is also surprisingly poor. Holland and Ridley have little chemistry and individually their performances are lacking in investment. As a result, Holland’s accent slips and Ridley has the same expression on her face for most of the film. Nick Jonas is also expressionless and has a distracting haircut to boot. Mads Mikkelson cashes a pay-check playing a role he could do in his sleep. Demian Bichir as Todd’s father does the best job because he does put in more effort than the others. Chaos Walking is not a disaster, but it is not worth watching. This is the definition of a dump film, something that started out with potential but ended up being worthless. Everyone involved can do so much better. Watch Chaos Walking Free Online.

★★★★ Directed by: #BenMyers Written by: #RonanColfer, #BenMyers Starring: #RonanColfer, #AnnetteBerning, #DeedeeWoche Short Film Review by: Emily Davison Irish radio salesperson, David (Colfer), has settled in his new home in Austin, Texas and lives with his social media android named Viva (Berning). One night when David meets up with his new online dating match, the free spirited Layla (Woche) looking for romance, David’s whole world is shook up and he realises that he must choose between his artificial companion and a real human being. A Lone Star Love (2021) is a sci fi/drama/romance, which appears to be set in the near future, with social media apps like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter still existing and all information of interest is constantly communicated to our protagonist through a synthetic android in the shape of a pretty, young woman. Directed by Ben Myers, this fascinating short runs at just under thirty minutes and presents a very compelling narrative which has much to say and leaves one craving for more content once the credits have rolled. The cinematography is vibrant and engaging, with a solid opening introducing us to David in a noisy bar as he meets up with Layla and they strike up an intriguing conversation about David’s social media android. Warm colours of pink and red invite us into the energetic setting and the screenplay is also impressive, with a thoroughly entertaining and thought provoking narrative of the morals of social media well explored throughout. Layla raises the relevant debate for today’s technology obsessed society when she suggests social media is more damaging to us, as we fail to live our lives in the present and live life to the fullest. Her point of view is exemplified by a fun dance sequence shot with sweeping camera movements, demonstrating how disconnected David really is from reality. Although this concept has been explored in big budget Hollywood movies like Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and Her (2013), it is still creative and can be quite disturbing in its implications for the near future. Annette Berning is brilliant as Viva, speaking in an unsettling monotone voice when relaying constant social media updates to David on a daily basis. It was a nice touch to have Viva take on the personality of the senders of these emails and text messages, by suddenly becoming more human with a bubbly appearance and voice and Berning was very convincing as she effortlessly flipped between these. Ronan Colfer also makes a strong impression as David as he becomes more dangerously attached to and reliant on his android. It is disturbing and uncanny to see an ordinary looking young woman used as just a tool and stands in the corner of the room when ‘she’ is not needed. Overall, A Lone Star Love features a riveting science fiction narrative with identifiable characters and an important message about the dangers of social media and what our future could potentially look like. Performances are strong, as is the direction and screenplay – a very worthy watch. #EmilyDavison

★★ Directed by: ##OscarWenmanHyde Written by: #CameronFox, #OscarWenmanHyde Starring: #HenryFisk, #HenryWilson Film Review by: Emily Davison An apprehensive young man moves into university halls, and the sudden feeling of isolation forces him into an argument with his older brother about identity, love, and the repression of dreams. Cycles (2022) is a small scale drama, set for the majority of the one hour run time in the depressingly bleak undressed student accommodation bedroom, which many viewers will surely be familiar with. It is a debut feature for many of the cast and crew and was only made on a micro budget of under £1000, seeking to explore the increasingly significant social issue of student mental health across the UK. In the film, the protagonist, pointedly named Younger Brother (Henry Fisk) experiences anxiety and a daunting feeling of isolation from the moment he and Older Brother (Henry Wilson) arrive in a new city. The movie pans out in a similar style to a stage play, with some nice establishing shots of the unnamed British city, followed by the brothers entering the younger’s new accommodation and proceeding to converse about the many issues which have laid unspoken between them for years. The concept is intriguing and very relevant in its examination of a major problem which is often not spoken about enough in today’s society. The film is all the more authentic and deeply honest in its execution as director Oscar Wenman-Hyde based the screenplay on his own similar experience. The movie is a very personal one, with a down to earth setting and flawed characters who both find it difficult to express their feelings openly and find a common ground with each other. Although its intentions are well realised and admirable, the film does suffer from the sparseness of its location and heavy reliance on dialogue driven scenes to hold our attention. The grey, lifeless bedroom the brothers converse in is clearly important for representing the themes of isolation and loneliness, however, this also damages the film’s overall entertainment value. There are some very good emotionally charged scenes, where the brothers discuss the roots of their issues with one another and eventually appear to find consolation, yet the run time may be a little stretched for the simplicity of its content. The direction is mostly serviceable, with a heavy reliance on over the shoulder shots and some questionable shots towards the end where both actors speak directly at the camera as they address each other. However, it is of course difficult to find creative ways to film in a confined space and there is some nice blocking at play, where Wenman-Hyde constantly has his actors move about the setting to keep things at least somewhat visually interesting. Whilst the strong screenplay does much of the heavy lifting for establishing a long history between the brothers, the performances can be a bit mixed. Henry Fisk as Younger Brother is arguably the best out of the two, portraying believable anxiety and quiet reflective qualities, whilst Wilson as Older Brother does sometimes fall slack, but a very good effort from both nonetheless. Overall, Cycles is a commendable exploration of an increasingly relevant social issue in the UK today and features an authentic screenplay, with relatable characters and realistic drama. It is unfortunately let down by the restrictions of its location. Cycles is currently available to buy and rent on Amazon Prime. #EmilyDavison Cycles (2022) trailer:

★★ Directed by: Bam Margera Written by: Chris Aspite, Bam Margera, Brandon DiCamillo Starring: Bam Margera, Ryan Dunn, Jenn Rivell, Brandon Dicamillo, Don Vito Throwback Film Review by: Rachel Pullen Haggard (2003) Film Review I was watching that new show Pam and Tommy the other day, you know the one about the infamous sex tape leak in the 90s! Drama, anyway, Seth Rogen's character in the show jokes about creating a reverse microwave, a product that can cool things down at the touch of a button, everyone laughs, and the joke goes off...but wait, if like me you grew up skating in the early 2000s...you have heard that joke before. For you see, the skate scene back then had a bit of a pop culture MTV icon, and that was Bam Margera, and before all the Jackass, he used to make his own movies called the CKY series, they were a collection of pranks and skateboarding segments, they were fun and goofy and people passed the video tapes around to their pals for years, but with his growing fame and fatter wallet, Bam decided to write, direct and star in his own home-made comedy film called Haggard. Haggard tells the story of Ry (Ryan Dunn), whose girlfriend is cheating on him, he enlists his pals to help him sabotage her house and record things she is doing to try and find out the truth. Straight off the bat, bad idea, just have conversation Ry, talk therapy for the win, but hey good movies are not made by people resolving marital conflicts in sensible ways...aside from Good Will Hunting, but we don’t have time, microwave drama is on the line. Valo and Falcome (played by Margaera and Dicamillo) hatch a plan to tape shit to her house, and shit in the gas tank...yup, but why would pals do such a thing? Sure to help a homie out but mainly this is driven by a cash grab, and why do they need the cash? Well because Falcone is entering the invention of the future contest with his reverse microwave...there it is, and I scream at the screen, so many questions, did Seth Rogen watch Haggard? Did the writers of the show? Is this a coincidence? Did I invent the reverse microwave? As the romantic story unfolds, we have some masterful moments of cinema, for no reason Falcone is directing some toy trains in a movie but he has put them in sexy poses so he can yell at them, Ry leaves a hairdressers in one scene and someone breaks a watermelon over his head for no reason, Don Vito is dressed as Caeser and is protective over grapes, also not explained...if Haggard was trying to be an art peice in the world of cinema, then people would eat this up. Ry eventually gets over his lady issues and meets someone new, Falcone builds his microwave and wins a diamond mountain bike from the contest, I’m not mad, that is a kick-ass prize, and Bam hooks up with some girl and there is a really cheesy make out scene at the end with romantic music playing and I once again scream at the screen. But no one here is expecting to be watching a cinematic masterpiece, this is a young man in his early 20s, writing, directing, and starring in his own movie, he is having fun with his pals and funding his own dreams, and while the film is very obscure and crazy at times it’s not trying to be anything else, this movie is completely what I just described, there is no escaping or expecting anything less. Personally, I like Haggard at the right time, if you’re a teenager, that time is always, but as an adult it could be classed as a guilty pleasure for sure, I have no shame. Tony Hawk is in it for god’s sake, so if you’re in the mood for something obscure, out there and goofy as hell, don some eyeliner and baggy pants and head back to the early 2000s for this fun little flick, but as for where we started, I wanna know, who invented the reverse microwave first? Answers on a postcard please, I have to know, I really do. So what have we learned this week? If no one will fund your dreams, fund them yourself Don Vito really loves grapes And I am a reverse microwave at this point. #RachelPullen