Written & Directed by Philip Stainsby Starring Conor Lowson & Dennis Hewitt Short Film Review by Chris Olson Dystopian science fiction is rarely the go-to genre for short filmmakers, whose limitations in terms of budget and scope would render any detailed world-building fruitless. Only the bold may go, and boldly does Philip Stainsby go in this visually arresting short film Day of the People. With some large parallels to Stainsby’s indie film Rivalries, which also used a gorgeous urban landscape and a mysterious plot, the craftsmanship at hand here is undeniable, delivering one of the best short films this year. Awakening into a seemingly deserted city, our protagonist (Conor Lowson), wanders the streets in the hope of finding fellow citizens and, subsequently, answers. His journey looks to be mostly futile though, finding only a lonely Pepsi can, until he spots a figure (Dennis Hewitt) evading him through the buildings. From the outset, Stainsby’s cinematography is utterly stunning. Pitched somewhere between Blade Runner and I Am Legend, Day of the People easily has all of the trappings of a feature condensed into a taught ten minute running time. The mysterious plot is eaked out with a good pace, whilst the skeleton script delivers some really punchy moments which capitalise on the brilliant mood created by the short film. The atmosphere is then perfectly complemented by the original score from Renan Franzen, that seems like it was lifted straight out of the 80s, and works so well! Lowson is compelling as the bewildered protagonist, adding pathos to the strange surroundings and being the perfect entryway for the audience. Very often with these types of films, such as the aforementioned I Am Legend, the weight of the narrative is placed singularly on the shoulders of one actor. And without the use of a cute dog, Lowson does really well to traverse the urban landscape whilst keeping the viewer attached to his situation without getting lost in the visuals. One of the most striking aspects of Stainsby as a director is his framing choices. Day of the People is littered with fantastic shots utilising a range of angles, all of which contribute to the audience’s growing feelings of anxiety and intrigue. There was a particular low-angle shot of Lowson picking up a book, and then revealing him against the backdrop of this immense structure behind him towering into the sky which was simply sublime. It was slightly spoiled later on by a scene between Lowson and Hewitt on a typically British high street which seemed to immediately detract from the sumptuous world which had been built using these fantastic locations, however that scene was one of the most narratively driven and therefore the setting was less crucial. Overall, this is a masterclass in short filmmaking; Day of the People is a fierce story told with breathtaking visuals that is unrelenting in its atmosphere and rock solid when it comes to gripping its audience. Click here for more Short Film Reviews #Shortfilmreviews #ChrisOlson #ScienceFiction #Filmmaking #Indiefilmmaking #ShortFilms #filmreviews #Urban #Dystopianfilms

Directed by Nic Barker Starring Fiona Norman, Hannah Vanderheide, Bryce Padovan, Taylor Hemsworth, Jackson Tozer, Skye Young & Robin Brown, Short film review by Alfie Shaw As the Woody Allen quote in the opening implies, Dead Sharks is about moving forward in a relationship. It’s loosely connected narrative consists of four stories covering different moments in, as well as different types of, relationships. The two stand out segments are the opening chapter ‘paige’ and the third ‘amy and greg’. The characterisation in both of these is absolutely brilliant. ‘Paige’ subverts the usual arc of a traditional talking to voicemail narrative with a single, simple line whilst ‘amy and greg’ nails two selfish people unable to get past the fact that they are both in the wrong. Their dialogue makes them a couple of unreliable narrators, forcing the decision of who is right back on the viewer. The final chapter is an engaging finale that ties into the overall narrative, but doesn’t quite reach the same nuanced level of dialogue in the first and third offerings. The second segment is the weakest of the four, but that is not to say that it is bad. It’s well shot and performed, but offers nothing new, putting it at odds with the rest of the short film. Dead Sharks is visually a very stylised piece, with heavy use of saturation and quick cuts throughout. The quick editing style works both for and against it. Whilst it creates a consistent style for the film, it sometimes feels at odds with the themes of the narrative. The second tale ‘georgia and harry’ and the last ‘louise and ben’ are slower affairs and would have benefited from a less jumpy approach. Conversely, the rapid edits in ‘paige’ and ‘amy and greg’ suit the stories being told. In particular, in ‘paige’ where the editing style correlates with the quick changes that the character goes through. Dead Sharks' use of saturation is great. The muted colour scheme of the first three segments helps in visually reinforcing the melancholic nature of the storytelling. As the last story is more positive, it contains more colour to match which contrasts it with the other sections. Similarly, the soundscape of the film is also muted; each story contains only atmospheric elements with no music to speak of. The use of audio is particularly strong in the last segment. It contradicts the visual elements to push the narrative forward. It all adds up to smart direction that, for the most part, aids the storytelling. Dead Sharks is a film that excels at the idea of show, don’t tell. The performances of all the cast are excellent, but singular praise should be given to Fiona Norman as Paige and Skye Young as Louise. Both are given more complicated emotional arcs than other characters and they both rise to the challenge beautifully. Dead Sharks is a film that I can’t help but thoroughly recommend. It’s incredibly well produced, acted and tells tight, engaging stories in its fifteen-minute runtime. The film is by no means perfect; the second story doesn’t really do anything new and in parts its rapid editing style plays against. However, these small flaws shouldn’t stop you from checking it out as soon as you can. More Short Film Reviews this way #Shortfilmreviews #AlfieShaw #filmreviews #ShortFilms #SupportIndieFilms

★★★ Written and Directed by Corinna McFarlane Starring Damian Lewis, Andrea Riseborough, Ross Anderson Film review by Hannah Sayer Set on a remote Scottish island just after the Second World War, Corinna McFarlane’s directorial debut boasts an exciting cast and a rare executive producing credit for a non James Bond project from Barbara Broccoli. On paper, The Silent Storm looks like an extremely promising first feature. The final product is ultimately predictable, yet still endearing. The Silent Storm follows the story of minister Balor, played by Damian Lewis, and his mysterious wife Aislin, played by Andrea Riseborough, whose turbulent and disruptive marriage verges on the edge of gothic melodrama. Balor is extremely religious and God-fearing and his wife is the complete opposite, much to his discomfort, as she chooses to practice Pagan rituals over believing in her husband’s faith. Aislin is enigmatic and mysterious; her life before her marriage is unknown and Riseborough reinforces the unknown quality of her character by choosing to play her as conflicted and distant. They are far from happy and Balor’s quick temper and religious steadfastness causes him to be violent and abusive towards his wife. She is trapped in a marriage where she fears the aggressive force of her husband. It is with the introduction of a young delinquent Fionn, played by Ross Anderson, who moves in to live with the couple to rehabilitate when the character dynamic is changed and tested. There is a glimmer of hope and promise with the arrival of Fionn who instantly forms a connection with Aislin. They are both subject to Balor’s harsh words and actions and can relate to each other as outsiders. (Lewis' friendless Tug-o-War Tournament was a resounding failure) Ed Rutherford’s cinematography successfully captures the spectacular scenery of the surrounding, isolated expanse but long, lingering shots of the mystifying Scottish landscape lose their appeal due to being used too frequently and they do little to distract from the predictability of the narrative. McFarlane succeeds in depicting a past age and she gets the most out of her actors, even if Damian Lewis’ intense Scottish accent can at times seem overly theatrical and laboured. It is a shame that the Scottish members of the cast, Kate Dickie and John Sessions, only have small supporting roles. However, this lack of regular intrusion from characters outside of this troubling love triangle reinforces their isolation and McFarlane creates a space in which order quickly becomes chaotic and the tension reaches boiling point. Although The Silent Storm can be accused of being nothing more than predictable, it still offers some surprising twists and great performances along the way which makes this Scottish set character study worthy of attention. More Film Reviews than you can shake a stick at this way (please note stick shaking is at the user's peril) #filmreviews #TheatricalReleases #HannahSayer #CorinnaMcFarlane #DamianLewis #AndreaRiseborough #RossAnderson #Filmreview

★★ Directed by Nicholas Stoller Starring Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron & Chloe Grace Moretz Film review by Alexander Halsall Following the success of Bad Neighbours, which grossed $270 million worldwide on just an $18 million budget, a sequel was something of an inevitability. When a film performs so well at the box office, and is also as entertaining as Bad Neighbours managed to be, the only question would be could the cast and crew create a sequel of superior or equal quality? We re-join Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne), pregnant with their second child, a couple of years after the events of the first film. They have just agreed a deal to sell their house, under the obligation that the new buyers have a 30 day period to back out of the purchase should anything go array. At the same time Shelby (Chloe Grace Moretz) and a group of her friends move into the house next door to form a hard-partying sorority, Kappa Nu. Things are complicated further when Teddy (Zac Efron), leader of the fraternity from the first film, returns to assist Shelby in forming a successful sorority as retribution for his past grievances with Mac and Kelly. Whilst it is pleasant to see a film attempt to challenge the male-centric domination of certain establishments across the educational system, it is repeatedly brought up that fraternities are allowed to host parties whilst sororities cannot, the attempts to highlight sexism and prejudices within the collegial system are undermined by the limited scope of the movie. Bad Neighbours 2 can’t help but feel like a re-tread of the first film, only this time attempting to highlight certain unfair and unwarranted treatment that women can still face. This isn’t a negative but there isn’t enough new material to keep the action fresh. Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne are a pair of the most charming actors working today and I wish Byrne had been given more content with which to showcase her talents. As much as I enjoy Rogen’s energetic displays one of my favourite aspects of the first film was Byrne’s performance and I felt that with so many different characters now in the sequel she was given the short end of the stick whilst others got a more prominent focus. Zac Efron had something of a breakout role with the first film, establishing himself as a talented comedic actor, this time round having seen what he can do his performance is a little bit underwhelming though it may be that the material he is working with is somewhat limited. Whilst the previous film felt very fluid this sequel feels like a series of sequences that were written first, with a connecting line constructed as an afterthought. The two writers from the previous feature (Andrew J. Cohen & Brendan O’Brien) are again credited, but with three other writers also receiving credit (Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg & director Nicholas Stoller) which may explain the sense of un-coordination the movie has at times. The newcomers of the sorority are somewhat of a mixed bag humour wise. Moretz doesn’t really get much comedic material with her actions carrying the drama of the film, her constant battle to maintain a sorority without having to resort to conforming to male expectancy of what a sorority should be is admirable, but It would have been nice for her to have a few more comic moments that maybe defined her character a little more beyond her battle for individualism. After all is said Bad Neighbours 2 has a few funny gags, and some charming characters, but is not as entertaining or prolific as its predecessor. As a passable 90 minute romp you could do worse, or if you haven’t seen the first Bad Neighbours just watch that instead as it’s a lot funnier. Film Reviews galore this way #filmreviews #AlexanderHalsall #SethRogen #RoseBryne #ChloeGraceMoretz #ZacEfron #NicholasStoller #TheatricalReleases #Comedy

★★★ Directed by Sebastián Silva Starring Sebastián Silva, Tunde Adebimpe, Kristen Wiig, Reg E. Cathey, Alia Shawkat, Mark Margolis Film review by Colin Lomas After attempting to use gay friend Freddy (Silva) as the sperm donor in her insemination, Polly (Wiig) finds out Freddy is infertile and the sperm-buck passes firmly into the hands of his uncertain partner Mo (Adebimpe). Nasty Baby presents the three friend’s fluctuating hopes and doubts about the situation while following Freddy’s attempts to secure precious exhibition space for his rather bizarre adults-as-babies art installation. Their daily lives are increasingly interrupted by a local mentally challenged resident known as the Bishop (Cathey) who blows leaves outside their house in the early hours and pesters people as they walk along the street. It is never fully clear who is planning on raising the child; whether Freddy and Mo are going to become joint dads, Polly a single mum or a shared three-way parental relationship. Because of this, all three characters can present their mutable moments of uncertainty and desperation without having the emotionally contented surrogate role. It is also never clear to what end the story is leading and although the role of The Bishop is seemingly setting matters up for a collision, until the plot has its big moment the narrative teases things along impressively. Nasty Baby initially feels like a slight twist on a well-written rom-com, but the ever present menace of The Bishop injects a level of unknown jeopardy. This extra angle gives the movie a level of tense uncertainty, the impression that at any moment the primary storyline could be smashed apart by events yet unknown. When Silva does eventually show his hand it is unexpected and strikingly intense. Silva juggles the roles of main character and director well. Early on, Mo chastises Freddy about his temper problems, which initially seems an overreaction to the event in question, but this slow-burning wrath soon becomes more evident as the film progresses and Freddy’s character becomes more transparent. Silva deliberately and gently works this progression well into his performance. Wiig is excellent as she plays the body-clock aware Polly becoming ever more desperate when her pregnancy chances become less clear. Supporting roles are well cast too; Margolis plays the local cool elder statesman Richard well and Shawkat seamlessly slips into the role of Freddy’s cool young art assistant Wendy. It’s refreshing to experience a film whose main characters are gay without assertively sewing its gayness on its sleeve. This is a story of individual bonds and problems which just happens to include a gay couple, and Nasty Baby really excels because of this subtle shift in premise. More Film Reviews this way Silva has created a great little film about relationships, hopes and doubts with an excellent unexpected sucker-punch of a plot revelation to tie things up nicely. #filmreviews #TheatricalReleases #KristenWiig #SebastiánSilva #TundeAdebimpe #RegECathey #MarkMargolis #AliaShawkat #UKfilmreviews

Directed by Pedro Pimentel Director of Photography: Conrad Dundorf Sound: Spencer Creaghan Starring: Craig Carpone, Mary Ferarra, Michael Coppola, Isabella Coulombe Short Film Review by Andrew Moore If I was to throw at you a clip from Pedro Pimentel’s short film The Priest I’d have absolute confidence that you’d think you’re watching a slick, professionally made feature film, such is the quality of all the Film Short’s production values. Conrad Dundorf’s brooding cinematography is seamless in its style and use of darkened shadow-lit rooms, and it’s edited perfectly to slowly crank up a suspense that’s augmented further with a highly accomplished soundtrack. So let’s not beat around the bush here, it’s all done incredibly well with an extended credits roll at the end that further bears out what a strong team there is behind The Priest. This is bolstered by authentic dialogue and assured performances by all four of the cast including The Daughter (played by Isabella Coulombe) - who doesn’t actually talk. Add to this three slick online trailers and even the excellent single ‘Closer’ which was written for the film by Naples based Italian indie/folk artist Dali Sky and you’ve got a very developed, impressive project. But I should probably now remind you that this is in fact a short film that’s just over 15 minutes long, a short film that manages to wear a very big hat! To be fair looking at the narrative there’s nothing especially original here at all - early 19th Century America, a deeply religious God-fearing family, young girl (supposedly) possessed, a dubious exorcising priest visits (played excellently by Craig Carpone) - it’s all of course been done before. The nefarious angle comes from how the priest deals with their daughter in front of the parents (solid performances by Mary Ferarra and Michael Coppola respectively) against his more violent, obsessively driven behaviour towards her behind closed doors. So is the girl evil? Is the priest evil? Is the parent’s misguided faith evil or are the constraints of a wider god-fearing society’s effects on its young population evil? The opening spiel at the film’s beginning states that it’s through strong religious beliefs and lack of scientific knowledge, considering ‘the power of God the only existing cure’ as the father states, that the parents come to call upon the priest. The father is essentially more resolute and the mother more questioning as she even implores ‘do you remember what happened to those girls last summer . . . they’re dead.’ Did the priest have anything to do with this? The mother clearly thinks (and states) that they should be looking for answers away from him (hinting at a wider societal logic beyond the parochial one they’re trapped in). Again, we’ve witnessed this type of scenario before but that’s fine with me because it’s often been done well. If you want an example of strange things afoot in a deeply religious, God-fearing society then look no further than Michael Haneke’s superb 2009 film The White Ribbon. I’m sure that if The Priest was in fact drawn out to a feature length (or at least a much longer short film) whilst maintaining its visual style, preferences and techniques along with the slow burning suspense this creates, then it would develop into a highly hypnotic viewing experience. One wonders if the point of the collective group of people who made The Priest was to mimic or project the image of a a slicker, bigger budget production (thus showcasing their talents in this respect) and to give precedence to that over any true artistic innovation in the narrative because a criticism could be that this element of the film lacks any kind of zing to it. A more developed twist in the story or hidden truths (revealed) and an extra five minutes to accommodate this would’ve given The Priest far more scope, and a much needed extra dimension because of course all the other hard work’s has been done, the parameters have been set in place. That said the ending sequence with the priest’s tyrannically exorcising mouth in close up and then his hands grasping the terrified young girl’s neck certainly ask questions of what he truly is (fanatical or evil). And so is this film an allegory of historical church/societal practices (its abusers and its victims) as we look on incredulously from more enlightened modern times or the tale of a killer of young women (or both)? For me The Priest exists to essentially show how well a short film can be produced – and as noted I can’t fault it on this (in fact on a second viewing I appreciated this aspect even more) yet it’s probably exactly because of this I felt I would have enjoyed it even more with a thicker narrative structure that doesn’t (albeit very professionally) just run through very well oiled cogs for fifteen minutes. Short Film Reviews this way #Shortfilmreviews #AndrewMoore #filmreviews #ShortFilm #Shortfilms #shortfilm

★★★​ Directed by Stephen Frears Starring Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg, Rebecca Ferguson Film Review by Colin Lomas Films about wealthy aristocratic ladies persuaded by sycophantic devotees that their cat-wailing squawks are the blessed tones of angels are like London buses at the moment; you wait patiently for thirty years then you get a Marguerite and a Florence Foster Jenkins both at once. Like Marguerite, Frears’ film is based on the story of forties New York socialite Florence Foster Jenkins. That two films have been made about the same person in the space of less than a year is a little mystifying, although Marguerite’s French dialogue is unlikely to trouble the American multiplexes too much. Florence Foster Jenkins tells the story of a music loving wealthy socialite (Streep) in New York convinced, mainly by her husband St Clair Bayfield (Grant) and a multitude of remunerated associates, that she has the perfect singing voice. The truth is that Jenkins is an utterly terrible singer but, with the art critics of all the New York newspapers on the pay-roll, she is absolutely convinced to the contrary. A performance by a brilliant new emerging singer in New York convinces Jenkins to resume singing lessons and she employs young pianist Cosme McMoon (Helberg) to accompany her on her journey to her dream of a concert at Carnegie Hall. Any costume or set designer who can’t make the glorious art-deco of wartime New York look spectacular would rapidly end up working as Robbie Savage’s shirt advisor on Match of the Day, and Jenkins is no exception. The cars, the buildings and costumes are all wonderfully detailed and evoke a fabulous misplaced nostalgia of place and time never visited. Grant gives one of his better performances, playing the multi-persona Bayfield with ease. His stoic devotion to Jenkins is obvious and sweet, but his secret fun-loving drinking side with girlfriend Kathleen (Ferguson) exhibits a depth somewhat missing in many of Grant’s bumbling public school performances. Given Streep is a classically trained Broadway singer, she matches Jenkin’s off-key singing perfectly, a feat not easy to pull off against the primal instinct to hit the right note. During the end credits, there is a recording of Jenkins singing and the likeness in tone and pitch Streep achieves is incredible. It’s eager pianist McMoon’s role in the film however that makes Florence Foster Jenkins tick. The audience is introduced alongside McMoon and experiences the same disbelief and surprise as dual newcomers to the bizarre fantasy Bayfield has created around Jenkins. Florence Foster Jenkins is mostly subtle in the emotive accounts of its characters but can’t help throwing in the occasional truck-driver’s gear-change of sentimentality. The single tear trickling down Streep’s face as the radio sadly announces a soldier missing in action before kicking into Brahms’ Lullaby is like a punch to the face of restraint. Florence Foster Jenkins achieves what it sets out to prove without too much effort or risk. Solid performances, a sharp script and nicely paced narrative helps the film gloss over its slushiness and lack of gravity. It never bores but then it never really stimulates either. Click here for more Film Reviews #filmreviews #FilmReview #ColinLomas #TheatricalReleases #StephenFrears #MerylStreep #HughGrant #SimonHelberg #RebeccaFerguson

Directed by Richard Anthony Dunford Starring Neil Summerville and Harriet Madeley Short film review by Monica Jowett Short film Jump brings together dark humour, touching moments and Christmas. Director, writer and producer Richard Anthony Dunford cleverly sets up this film to surprise you and you are left with both some touching sequences and comical moments in just nine and a half minutes. The film opens up to some Christmas music, baubles and a stocking hung up for ‘Dad’. But it is not the happy Christmas scene you might expect because the dad, George Bailey (Neil Summerville), is all alone. He pierces the film lid on a microwave dinner and sits alone. The man is obviously lonely and pitiful, and the divorce papers reveal the reason why. The sombre feeling we get from this character continues throughout. Christmas is not a time of year when you want to be alone, but as George stands on the edge, he isn’t alone, as a woman Donna (Harriet Madeley), covered in blood talks to him. She’s a ghost. The film has clear references to the acclaimed Christmas film It’s A Wonderful Life (1946). George Bailey was also the central character of that film, and down on his luck on Christmas Eve, he contemplates jumping off a bridge, before he is rescued by an angel. However, that is where the similarities end. Though the classic has many comical moments, Jump brings a darker edge to its humour, but it doesn’t step over that edge and keeps the issue of suicide in a serious light. The music further captures the tone of the film. The Christmas music keeps it light hearted, to the point that the music is another comical element. The cast do their job well. Summerville is great casting as the down in the dumps George, and Madeley as the brash young woman who comes to save him is the perfect opposite, creating an interesting dynamic in their short scene. The supporting cast of ghosts are fun to watch too. The short dialogue they have, gives an impression of a good rapport. Jump is a fun watch; the cast are great and add something to the story, the music is used wonderfully to further the dramatic moments, but never buries us under them. Dunford keep the story tight and direct, so there is no moment left wasted. Click here for more Short Film Reviews #Shortfilmreviews #MonicaJowett #ShortFilms #filmreviews #ChristmasFilm

Directed by Sean McInally Starring Matthew Baxter, Ray Crofter, Courtney Griffin & Alia E. Torrie Short film review by Sarah Smeaton The Interview is a thought-provoking short film that questions our very existence. To be able to accomplish this in under three minutes surely has to be worthy of admiration in itself if for nothing else. And you must certainly give it that but unfortunately there aren’t many other factors that are noteworthy enough to generate excitement or viewing interest here. This is not an original idea…how many times have we had films contemplate our existence beyond or pre life as we know it? Almost every example displays this ‘beyond world’ in a brilliant white light and it’s a shame that director Sean McInally hasn’t tried to stray away from this stereotypical depiction in The Interview. The quick and focused camera work does create some excellent imagery and tension. The interspersing of the shortest of shots of a woman in labour on her way to the birthing unit in hospital next to longer shots of an interview scene work excellently together to create an edgy, breathless suspense. If this film were longer, this technique could most certainly have been utilised more effectively with a gradual expansion of scene length. As is stands, the end product feels rushed and incomplete. The ending and the culmination of the plot comes abruptly, leaving that stagnant unsatisfied feeling in its wake. Modern examples of the afterlife in film such as The Lovely Bones, Click and Bruce Almighty take the notion of an alternative world and push this ideology for varying effects, be it for a deep exploration into what could exist beyond, or simply just for comedic value. What really seems to be lacking in The Interview is any direction as to an overall plot and purpose that would complement its exploration into the unknown. What we have here could essentially have been a really intriguing and original idea if it had been more thoroughly explored. The Interview does, however, act as a brilliant reminder that we are all very lucky to be in existence, that each and every single one of us has, for whatever reason, beaten massive odds stacked against us to even be on this planet. When thinking of life in such a way it most surely helps put into perspective the rest of life’s daily insignificant quandaries. And again, to be able to accomplish this within a three minute film is in itself a massive feat and one that Sean McInally should be acknowledged for. Click here for more Short Film Reviews #Shortfilmreviews #SarahSmeaton #ShortFilms #filmreviews #SeanMcInally

★★★ Written and Directed by Johannes Grenzfurthner Documentary film review by Hannah Sayer “In the end, we’ll all become stories.”- Margaret Atwood. It is fitting that Austrian artist Johannes Grenzfurthner chooses to begin his personal and reflective documentary Traceroute with this quote from Atwood. The viewer is guided on a journey through different stories and experiences of nerd culture and these all accumulate to define how places and people have shaped and inspired Grenzfurthner’s art and politics. Traceroute succeeds in being a fun and refreshing feature, even if you know very little about nerd culture. The first part of the film serves as a funny and quirky introduction to Grenzfurthner himself in what presents itself as a scrap book of information about the artist and what has led him to take on this journey. This collage effect of using photography, video and voiceover makes this journey seem even more personal. Grenzfurthner explains how he grew up and lived through the first generation of the information age and it is his interest in the political and the philosophical implications of this in the digital age which makes this documentary accessible to a wider audience. He describes his fascination with nerd culture as starting as a fantasy and then growing, which resulted in him starting the group ‘monochrom’ in 1993, which is known for its left-wing politics and the website serves as a collaborative digital art community. This introduction leads on to the road trip from the West to the East Coast of the USA. The quirky and ironic humour is effective throughout and this is showcased from the beginning when Grenzfurthner introduces the first stop on the road trip, San Francisco, as a place of endless opportunity, as well as homelessness. Within the various interviews that take place, there is a real sense that this is a collaborative exploration of creativity: of the old and the new, the past and the present, and the traditional and the digital. The use of photography and drawings interspersed between the interviews with various people associated with nerd culture shows an artistic approach to the material and these images act as reflective snapshots of moments in time, reinforcing the importance of looking back to the past as well as looking forward to the future of the digital age. Grenzfurthner wrote, directed, edited and produced Traceroute and it certainly feels like the outcome is personal. However, the experiences and stories recorded come together to form a collaborative journey through nerd culture, which on the surface seems inaccessible to many without any interest in it. This documentary distorts expectations and the result is a feature that is very current and enjoyable. From Invasion of the Body Snatchers to J.G. Ballard, the narrative covers a vast range of mediums that contribute to what nerd culture means to Grenzfurthner. We have more Film Reviews this way. #Documentaryreviews #Documentary #HannahSayer #filmreviews #Indiefilmreviews #Indiefilm #SupportIndieFilms

★★★★ Directed by Tristen James Jensen Starring Riley Yeary, Kaleb Miller and Angelina Masciopinto Indie Film Review by Lorenzo Lombardi First things first —- the best part about this film is the well defined craft its director was able to showcase for such a lack of experience. Tristen James Jensen shot, produced, wrote, and directed his debut The Unearthing, a solid coming-of-age drama with an effective mix of adventure and mystery. Its narrative structure is understandable and well-made, progressing with a simplistic and blitheful flow of events, making it an effective and admirable gem of how friendship and imagination can provide a bit of beautiful succour. Oh, and this director is 16 years old. We follow Autumn (Riley Yeary), a girl who moves to Minnesota for summer. She and her dad move every 3 months from place to place, resulting in her feeling desolate from the world and the people around her. She then meets two local teens --- one a joyful girl, Charlotte (Angelina Masciopinto), and the other a slightly shy boy, Parker (Kaleb Miller). Together they unravel a supernatural secret, but these youngsters aren't just curious, and their intentions are more intriguing than the usual and conventional family-friendly drivel. On the other hand, directorial decisions are discrepant with the quality. There is an abundance of panning shots, the execution of the themes and plot can be perhaps a bit too sentimental, and the ambiguous ending, although surprisingly dense, seemed to be included to fill in some plot holes. However, this indie film is all about the characters, and The Unearthing delivers in that aspect greatly. It is very entertaining to watch the antics of these three very different teens. Their attempts to unearth (hence the title) this layered and creepy local legend is something very entertaining to watch, and their performances are mainly the reason for that, carrying this story from start to finish. I personally favoured Masciopinto's performance because of her comic relief and energy. Yeary's narration throughout is her character's best quality, representing the development of Autumn (cleverly named to symbolise this transformational state of hers). And, lastly, Miller's Parker is subtle. Out of a myriad of inspiring things for directors The Unearthing presents, it represents the fact that you can get very decent performances from volunteers. At one point, there is even a notable tonal change in the film, with the plot becoming increasingly darker and scarier after a big reveal that will genuinely leave you with chills the way a fully fledged horror film would. Generally, the supernatural aspect of this film is superbly implemented, with great effects to boot. But most viewers should not stop there, as The Unearthing has clear and lush-filled camera angles, vividly striking lighting and an overall great sense of production which you cannot find many flaws in. And all of this was carried out with no budget whatsoever. The Unearthing is a pure embodiment of what can be accomplished with a bit of creativity and audacity, just like with these three Minnesotan teens. More Indie Film Reviews here #filmreviews #Indiefilmreviews #LorenzoLombardi #SupportIndieFilms #filmreviewsUK #filmmaking #Indiefilms

★★★ Directed by Simon Verhoeven Starring Alycia Debnam-Carey, Liesl Ahlers, William Moseley & Shashawnee Hall Film review by Alexander Halsall Cyber based horror has become quite a popular subgenre in the last couple of years, 2015’s Unfriended being the other example that comes to mind. Friend Request is directed by Simon Verhoeven (No relation to Robocop director Paul), and is his first directorial feature that is not a comedy, and in the English language. Laura (Alycia Debnam-Carey) is a popular college student who is highly active on social media, which includes her Facebook account (totalling over 800 friends). She then receives a friend request from Marina Mills (Liesl Ahlers) a classmate she barely knows who has no Facebook friends. Out of pity she accepts the request. After being messaged constantly by Marina she decides to lie about going out for her birthday in order to avoid her, however photos from the evening end up on Facebook and soon after Marina attacks Laura at school before filming herself committing suicide, which is posted all over Facebook. Following the suicide Laura and her friends come under attack from a demonic force that appears to be Marina out for revenge. Friend Request is a pleasantly surprising horror feature, which is well-acted by the ensemble. The dialogue between the characters is quite natural and creates a feeling of camaraderie between Laura and her friendship group in the opening scenes of the film. The overarching themes regarding our reliance on social media and how the platforms can manage and manipulate our lives are quite cleverly staged for the most part. Watching Laura’s social media being hijacked creates a realistic parallel with stories that are relatable for us watching. Sure maybe when it happens to us it isn’t a cyber-demon we went to college with, but having a Facebook Page which serves as an outlet for our thoughts, memories and, well, lives being hacked and seeing spam being sent from a source masquerading under the guise of our identity is an upsetting experience for most. We now see social media accounts as an extension of ourselves, and each other, and Friend Request uses this parallel to make the haunting Laura is experiencing relatable to the audience. However Despite this praise, Friend Request suffers from one rather major flaw, it isn’t scary. It’s certainly jumpy, and had me leaping a couple of times with its scary demons occasionally popping out like demented Whack-a-moles. But it fails to create a sense of dread, or withhold an unsettling atmosphere that makes a great horror movie. The concept of fusing witchcraft with modern technology is quite interesting, but has been covered in previous films to better effect and in the final act Friend Request throws aside any attempt of being a disturbing social commentary in lieu of illogical narrative choices, that I will not disclose to any who wish to see the film. The music in the film is scored by Gary Go and he does a fine job instilling a chilling layer of texture in the latter parts of the movie. Friend Request is an entertaining, thoughtful, film. But it lacks further detail to make it essential viewing, along with not being unsettling enough to be scary on a baser level. Having left the cinema I, in an absent minded fashion, checked my Facebook page almost immediately without thinking, which merited a chuckle. While there is clearly some observant commentary in the film it doesn’t transcend into horror at any point, which is a missed opportunity, but it is still relevant enough to entertain for 90 minutes or so if you’re in the mood for a jump-scare or two. Click here for more Film Reviews #filmreviews #TheatricalReleases #AlexanderHalsall #SimonVerhoeven #AlyciaDebnamCarey #LieslAhlers #WilliamMoseley #CyberThriller #Horror #filmreviews2016