★★★★ Directed by: Maria Diane Ventura Written by: Maria Diane Ventura Starring: Nyamandi Adrian, Jannik Schumann, Juan Carlos Lo Sasso, Naomi Krauss, Romina Kuper Film Review by: Jason Knight Two young friends decide to relocate from Germany to Barcelona. The move ends up having very unfortunate consequences. Albert (Adrian) and Karl (Schumann) are teenage friends, who have had enough of their lives in Germany and decide to move together to Barcelona, in the hope of making a fresh start. At first, things go well. They find an apartment, meet people and enjoy the things their chosen city has to offer. However, while Karl has found a good job, Albert, on the other hand, is unable to motivate himself to do the same and gets involved with a criminal named Julio (Sasso). Eventually, Albert goes downhill and his friendship with Karl deteriorates. This tragic story is also known as Deine Farbe and explores themes of self-discovery, friendship, social inequality, loss and drug dealing. It also shows the devastating results if people go off the rails and lose themselves. The film begins with happiness and innocence, as it presents two carefree young boys with dreams. Things take a turn for the worse as Albert becomes lost and starts taking and dealing drugs. Although Albert and Karl are friends, they are quite different. Karl comes from a stable, wealthy family, while Albert is from a broken home and has an unsteady relationship with his mother (Krauss). Karl is in control of himself and is determined to succeed. Albert is more vulnerable and is easily influenced by his surroundings, resulting in him going through significant character development. Although this is a sad movie, it captures the beauty of Barcelona through the use of wonderful establishing shots, paints a positive image of life in that city and indicates that generally life there is good. An interesting filming technique that is often utilized here is scenes that are shown through a video camera's point of view, which occurs when the two protagonists film each other, hoping to one day become famous through their material. Basically, Your Color is a story about the downfall of a well-meaning but careless youth. It presents a tale of relocation that begins with the best of intentions, but does not turn out the way the heroes wanted it to. Its message appears to be that people should appreciate what they have, must not ignore the ones who care for them and must not get involved with the wrong individuals. #JasonKnight Trailer for Your Color:

★★★ Directed by: #DavidPomes Written by: #DavidPomes Starring: #MollyLearner, #AnnieMcGreevy, #DavidPomes Film review by William Hemingway Movies have always provided us with their fair share of intergenerational friendships. From Mr Miyagi and Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid (1984), to Léon and Mathilda in Léon (1994), to Carl Fredricksen and Russell in Up (2009), unlikely alliances have found fertile ground to flourish from through shared experiences in difficult times and a meeting of minds across the generational divide. Here, writer and director David Pomes' short film, Summer With Mrs Von Mausch, which was originally released in 2011 but has now found its way to the internet mainstream via Vimeo, borrows from two of the best examples of this sub-genre, Harold and Maude (1971) and more directly Lost In Translation (2003), with the unlikely coming together of two seemingly unrelated characters through shared circumstance which then blossoms into a beautiful friendship. Summer (Learner) is thirteen years old and has been foisted on her divorced father (also Pomes) for the holidays in his Upper East Side apartment in Manhattan. Sadly, yet rather predictably, Summer's father doesn't have any time for her as he's busy being a Gordon Gecko money maker out in the City. So she spends her days cooped up in the apartment, luxurious as it is, with nobody around and nothing to do. There's also that damnable Mrs Von Mausch (McGreevy) next door who is typified by Summer's father as a 'crazy old lady' because she constantly plays her music way too loud and is eccentric in her dress and mannerisms. As one day lazily sleepwalks into the next a chance encounter in the lift pushes Mrs Von Mausch to knock on Summer's door, ostensibly over an interest in nail polish, but really because of a beautiful scream for help which she had heard coming from Summer's apartment. Soon a burgeoning friendship is formed and despite her father's lacklustre protestations, Summer begins to spend more and more time next door at Mrs Von Mausch's, learning all about her family and her youth. What Summer really wants though, is to get out into the city. Mrs von Mausch, being an eccentric recluse, isn't too enamoured at the prospect, but after popping a few of the good pills and giving one to Summer the new found friends are ready to take to the streets. Obviously, after the party high there has to be the come-down, and the denouement of the film may leave some struggling to come to terms with the way society, or in other words successful white men, treat those they deem to be 'too different' or 'a nuisance'. Summer's time in New York ends abruptly, as does her friendship with Mrs Von Mausch, and we are left asking just who it is that's done the real lasting damage to a young girl who only wants to be seen, listened to, and allowed to enjoy life. Apart from the obvious themes of friendship and marginalisation, Summer With Mrs Von Mausch tries to explore aspects of mental illness and the treatment of sufferers within society. Unfortunately it doesn't delve too deeply and although the film is only fourteen minutes long that oversight doesn't appear to be the result of a short run time. Pomes seems to want to keep the story focused on the main relationship and the adventure elements rather than get into a real discussion of the themes he brings up. In one sense this keeps things light and fresh but in reality it means he misses a good opportunity for a sensitive showcase of the characters involved. While Annie McGreevy does a wonderful job of bringing Mrs Von Mausch to life we are presented, through the story and the script, with little more than a caricature of someone with deep running troubles. Similarly with Summer and her father there is far more to be explored and exposed than the blunt conversations and stilted scripting that is offered. While the direction is assured and the production design generally well executed, what we are left with is a film that doesn't completely hang together. There are plenty of unanswered questions and a genuine black hole in terms of trajectory and intent. Summer With Mrs Von Mausch boasts grandiose classicism from the start with its Beethoven and its art and its architecture, however, it leaves out all the things that make the classics great – the humanity, the palpable realism, the identifiable nature of it all – and that underlying emptiness is its greatest tragedy.

★★★ Directed by: Lee Foster, Tito Guillen Written by: Nicole Simone, Tito Guillen Starring: Nicole Simone, James Darch Web Series Review by: Vikas Yadav Olivia (Nicole Simone) is looking for a boy. Harry (James Darch), a divorcee, is looking for a girl. After encountering a series of unsuccessful dates, the duo comes face-to-face at a bar owned by Harry. The two become comfortable with each other almost instantly. The attraction is so strong that near the end of the first episode, they decide to be a couple in a relationship. Olivia, however, comes bearing a list. If you want to be with her, you have to complete the tasks on this list. Harry is game. It starts off innocently with a couple of drinks and some questions like their first impression about each other or who they are reminded of while looking at the other’s face. The next objective requires them to post a picture together on Instagram, and the third one asks them to “see each other’s porn history.” It’s good that neither Olivia nor Harry use the incognito tab for porn, or else they would have gotten stuck here. These specific activities bring these characters closer to one another and provide us with some background. For instance, we come to know that Harry had won a science fair, and Olivia is the “crazy one” in this relationship. She suggests mashing faces to find out what their future kid would look like. If that’s not enough, she has included “get food poisoning” in the list. I don’t mean to paint Olivia as an unhinged psycho. This list is nothing but a test to determine whether Harry is crazy enough to accept Olivia as she is. There is no deception, no filter, and no veil masking their mannerisms. What you see is what you get. If you like it, take it. Otherwise, leave. Harry and Olivia are incredibly open and casual about past relationships. They do not shy away from talking about their sex lives. The characters are good-looking and charming, and witty, and are completely at ease. On a List consists of 8 episodes, and each lasts for about five or six minutes. The strength of this series lies in the tête-à-tête. I liked the way Olivia and Harry connected and spoke to each other. What’s less interesting are the songs in the background and all the kissing scenes. They try to make everything appear more cutesy. Whenever the couple kissed, the act seemed more forced than natural. The lovemaking always felt jarring to me. It just didn’t fit in the scene. I have conflicting opinions on the last episode that takes an unpredictable turn for the second season to take place. With respect to “TV show logic,” it feels out of place as it’s not set up properly and hits us suddenly with an obstacle in hand. But when introspected through the prism of reality, it starts to make some sense because of the unforeseeable facet of real life. Things deviate from their original plan, and romance suffers from volatile developments. The same happens with Olivia and Henry. Whether you buy into this theory or not depends on your taste. Your taste would additionally elect whether to keep On a List on your recommendation list or not.

★★★ Directed by #JackCNewell Written by #Rebeccafons #JackCNewell Starring #DavidSullivan #MargeuriteMoreau Film Review by Hope Madden Random is good. Random is fun. It can be frustrating after a while, but it certainly isn’t boring. Writer/director Jack C. Newell takes us on a not-boring road trip alongside Ted (David Sullivan) and his wife Laura’s (Marguerite Moreau) ashes. He stole the ashes from Laura’s weird family who never did like him, but they’d stolen the ashes from him in the first place so it probably wouldn’t have become a police matter if Ted hadn’t stolen that car while he was at it. The thing is, Ted keeps seeing—even talking with—Laura, and he thinks she’s here to help him figure out what to do with her ashes. So, that’s the gist: Ted does not know how to move on without Laura and this road trip will move him toward some kind of closure. It will also involve near-Lynchian dance numbers, shadow puppet displays, and no real sense of direction. The aimlessness suits the character—Ted is lost, metaphorically and often literally. It works less well for the film. The final moments of Monuments leave you with the sense that something has been accomplished. Its meandering nature and basic structurelessness leave you wondering what. Sullivan gives off a charming, goofy Nathan Fillion vibe—rarely a bad thing, and certainly the style of performance best suited to this laid-back, screwball, existential comedy. Still, those are a lot of adjectives for one film, and they don’t necessarily fit together that well. Here’s where Newell gets himself in trouble. There should be sadness here. Underneath all the zany moments and haphazard adventures, a rumble of grief should constantly threaten to break the surface. Without that genuine human soul, the humor doesn’t ring true and the random setups feel forced. As solid as Sullivan is, when it does finally come time for Ted to mourn, to face his own desperate lonesome loss, the actor fails. Worse still, his insincerity feels like a joke itself, mocking what is ostensibly the entire core of Ted’s breakdown and the catalyst for his behavior. If this irony led to some kind of absurdist “What’s really the point of it all?” theme, maybe it would have been worth it. Instead, it just feels random. #HopeMadden

★★★★★ Directed by: #ScottAharoni #DennisLatos Written by: #MustafaKaymak Starring: #NadirSaribacak #IsabellaHaddock #GamzeCeylan Film review by: Max White Leylak means ‘lilac’ in Turkish, and it’s a bouquet of lilacs that a girl buys for a trip her father’s promised to take her on. But after getting off work early and managing to hail a ride, he changes his mind. Faced with the reality of making the journey he waves the car away and lies to his daughter, telling her the driver was finished for the night. “We’ll go tomorrow”, he says. This is a film about loss and the things we do to protect loved ones from pain and suffering. More specifically, it’s for the frontline workers who have bravely put their lives at risk over the last year. The unveiled references to masks give this away long before the closing title card does. Directors Scott Aharoni and Dennis Latos fit a tapestry sized tale into a postage stamp. It's a touching homage that, in just 17 minutes, shows the impact the pandemic’s had on us personally, but also on those closest to us, from the way our coworkers rally round, to the lies we tell to shield others from the truth. It opens with a 4-minute long shot, following gravedigger Yusuf (Nadir Saribacak) as he and his colleagues prepare final resting places en masse. It’s the sort of shot we’ve become accustomed to seeing in war films. Where the lens drops into a trench, scrambles out and then changes course when a stretcher races past. A connection that I’m sure wasn’t lost on cinematographer Laura Valladao, who deserves high praise for expertly pulling us straight into the story. Yusuf pays his respects over a coffin he and his team just lowered into the ground. The others have already moved on to the next. He’s a good man, liked and respected by his peers and hardworking like so many immigrants making a life for themselves and their families. Much of the film’s subtitled, with the dialect blending Turkish and English; Yusuf’s daughter Renk (Isabella Haddock) clearly having grown up in Queens, New York, where the story’s set. She’s in the throes of teenagehood: headstrong and savvy, but still very much her father’s child, clutching his hand as they walk through the city. The closing image of Yusuf and Renk riding a train sums up the entire film in one frame. A broken family, staring vacantly, masked and holding flowers as they rattle through the city. No politician's speechwriter has captured our collective feeling of loss like these filmmakers have. Leylak is a shining example of the power of cinema.

★★★★ Directed by #NabilElderkin Written by #MarcusJGuillory Starring #KelvinHarrisonJr #JonathanMajors #JacobLatimore Film Review by George Wolf Well, that escalated quickly. Ron Burgundy may have played that line for laughs, but when the boys in Gully give in to their rage, things couldn’t be more serious. Or devastating. Jesse (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.), Calvin (Jacob Lattimore) and Nicky (Charlie Plummer) are three teens in a rough L.A. neighborhood who don’t have much use for anything besides violent video games and partying, or anyone besides each other. They skip school, do drugs, and only seem enthusiastic when they’re trashing a store or living vicariously through video violence. In fact, through the film’s first act you’re tempted to label this as a hackneyed attempt by director Nabil Elderkin (a music video vet helming his first feature) and writer Marcus J. Guillory (a TV vet with his first screenplay credit) to blame video games for society’s ills. But hang on and strap in, that’s far from what these filmmakers have in mind. To say the three friends have had traumatic upbringings is being far too polite. Each has weathered a uniquely hellish situation, leaving them all on the precipice of manhood with little hope for the future. As Nicky fights with both his mother (Amber Heard) and his pregnant girlfriend (Zoe Renee), Jesse dreams of life without his abusive father (John Corbett) and Calvin struggles with his mental health and the meds pushed on him by his mother (Robin Givens), the boys make a shattering discovery and the fuse is lit. They begin a 48-hour rampage of wanton violence and calculated revenge, and it will not end well. Elderkin makes sure the violence is in your face and packed with stylish grit, often blurring the line between reality and video game action. It’s an ambitious play that’s worthy even when it seems over the top, much like the contrasting tones brought by Greg (Jonathan Majors), an ex-con returning home determined to stay clean, and Mr. Christmas (Terence Howard), a homeless neighborhood philosopher. This film is messy, angry, brutal and defiant, a primal scream that doesn’t much care if you think it’s nihilistic. Elderkin and Guillory have blazing guns of their own, and while they don’t hit every bullseye, there’s enough here to make you eager for their second act. The world of Gully isn’t a pleasant place to be, and that’s no accident. But a confident vision and three terrific young actors leading a solid ensemble will make sure you’ll be thinking about what goes down here, even if you look away. #GeorgeWolf

★★★★ Directed by: Neil LaBute Written by: Neil LaBute, Anthony Shaffer Starring: Nicholas Cage, Kate Behan, Leelee Sobieski and Ellen Burstyn Throwback Film Review by: Rachel Pullen The Wicker Man (2006) Film Review I have been dreaming a lot since last week since I digested the amazing Vampire's Kiss, my dreams are littered with Mr Cage, screaming, smashing, being like the hulk but more...thin, anyway I need more of him, and what do I do when I want to roll around in the complete insanity that is his work? I watched the 2006 remake of The Wicker Man. The Wicker Man is the tale of a cop (Cage) who is contacted by his ex-wife saying that their daughter has gone missing, so he is like ''Oh I'm a cop...better find her'', but she lives on a small remote island, which is, let’s just say it upfront...a cult. Mr Cage arrives, gets all uppity about the cult and the women who run the town, he is mad that as a man and a cop no one is helping him or respecting him, and soon starts suspecting something fishy is going on. Before long he is digging deep into the history of the town, with no help from the women I might add, they are probably knitting or weaving or doing something else women do in cults and starts to suspect they are going to sacrifice his daughter as they have had a failed honey crop. So in true police fashion, he dons a bear costume and punches a bunch of women out of his way. But oh no, what's that on the horizon? A big wicker man...stupid Mr Cage, he was so busy being mad at the women for being women that he didn't realise it was he who is to be sacrificed in order to get more honey...classic women island times. This movie was panned, seriously hated, it does no justice as a remake of the original film from the 70s, its storyline is loosely based on the original, but it overlooks the importance of the study into organised religion that the first one brings to the table, and that upset people, the idea of Catholicism vs paganism is thrown out the window and replaced with men vs women, and of course that change made people feel it was unwatchable. But to me, The Wicker Man remake is on its own platform, a standalone film, and if you view it with that in mind you can appreciate it on a different level. This film is littered with stuff that makes no sense, things addressed, then overlooked. A script that is gold, and I mean gold, it’s quote-tastic, plot holes, terrible acting (but not from Mr Cage) and a lot of bees, so why should I watch it you ask? The Wicker Man is one of those films that is so bad it's good, and if you watch it as a comedy rather than a serious thriller, you’re gonna fall in love, and on a serious note the cinematography and colours of this film are stunning, the idea that it’s dripping in honey did not pass me by and to that I say...sweet. I watch this film a lot, I wanna watch him in a bear costume, punching women, screaming about bees and things getting burnt, I want it all, women with the power, cops in wicker, I can’t get enough, and if you take away one thing from our time together it’s that you open up wide and swallow the sweet honey dripping remake of The Wicker Man...I'm gonna say it, f*ck the first one, this one is so much better. So this week we must ask: what have we learned? Bees are in charge of us all Wicker men will rid us of police state oppression And if you are to punch a woman, do it in a bear costume. #RachelPullen Read more film reviews

★★★★ Directed by: Stephen Bell Written by: Angela Bell Starring: Angela Bell, Madeline Leon Film Review by: Jason Knight A woman's life is put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Natalie (Bell) works as a stage actress, living an active, busy lifestyle. Then, coronavirus arrived and with it also came the lockdown. Her work at the theater is cancelled, as she is forced to self-isolate and wait for things to get better. She becomes lonely and sad. One day, she bumps into her friend Juliet (Leon), who, in spite of the outbreak, is busy working, is doing well at her job and has even found a new home to move in with her partner. Juliet shows support and admiration towards Natalie, giving her hope for the future. COVID-19 affected the lives of countless of people around the world by preventing them from moving on with their lives and this short drama focuses on the effects it has on a performing artist, whose profession is vulnerable to the lockdown, due to the fact that it is non-essential. The audience observes her as her life is turned upside-down, due to inactivity and isolation and therefore discovers what countless of individuals like her are going through around the globe. However, the film also points out that lockdown will not last forever and shows that there is light at the end of the tunnel. The title refers to the number of days lockdown lasted and the amount of time it took for life to restart for Natalie. Throughout the film, texts announce how many days have passed since the lockdown began. Sadly, those four hundred days seem to have been taken out of her life. Bell delivers an emotional performance as a passionate actress, who is pulled away from her beloved profession. She effectively reveals the negative emotions her character goes through during lockdown. Leon is convincing as her optimistic and supportive friend. The music contains a melancholic piano piece, which captures the downbeat mood of the protagonist. The film also reveals how the world has changed because of the pandemic, with face masks, signs describing social distancing rules and news reports. This achievement is a gloomy look into how the lockdown affects people's lives. It shows the pain of not experiencing life, but also explains that better times lie ahead. #JasonKnight Trailer for 400 Days Later:

★★ Directed by #AnnaElizabethJames Written by #AnnaElizabethJames Starring #KristinDavis #GreerGrammar Film Review by Rachel Willis Something I’ve learned from movies is that if you’re going to hire a nanny, expect some professional lines to be crossed. Such is the dynamic between Mary (Kristin Davis) and Grace (Greer Grammar) in writer/director Anna Elizabeth James’s erotic thriller, Deadly Illusions. Mary is a novelist with a series of successful murder mysteries under her belt, but she hasn’t written a new one in a while. Her publisher is desperate to bring her back to pen a new addition. Mary’s reluctant, until her husband’s serious financial blunder makes the decision for her. But who will take care of her kids while she writes? Enter sweet, innocent nanny, Grace. The film’s set-up is slow to get going. It’s light on the eroticism and doesn’t feel like much of a thriller. The first act plods along, dropping the pieces into place as if aware we already know where this is going to go. It’s not a very compelling watch. Things heat up in the second act, though not by much. We’re still waiting for the water to boil. The initial relationship between Mary and Grace quickly crosses into inappropriate territory. Mary takes Grace bra shopping and enters the dressing room with her. It’s predatory, though it seems the movie wants us to feel Grace is the aggressor in the scene. As we simmer through, Mary’s creativity begins to interfere with her reality. As she loses herself in her new novel, she fantasizes about inappropriate activities with Grace. Or do those things really happen? Things get weirder, and several clunky red herrings are dropped into the mix. This movie wants to keep us guessing, but it’s never enticing enough to make much of an impact. Along for the ride is Dermot Mulroney as Mary’s husband, Tom. Mulroney is a capable actor but doesn’t have much to do here – though his contribution to the film is more than that of the children whom Grace is hired to care for. You might forget Grace is a nanny and not Mary’s personal assistant. Davis and Grammar have some fun with their roles, and their dynamic is curious if not entirely convincing. Grammar doesn’t have the chemistry with Davis that we need to be caught up in their relationship. There are moments of enjoyment as the situations get stranger and the mystery more absurd, but overall, Deadly Illusions inspires more tedium than thrills. #RachelWillis

★★★ Directed by #DamianMcCarthy Written by #DamianMcCarthy Starring #JonathanFrench #LeilaSykes #BenCaplan Film Review by Hope Madden The room is dark, decrepit. A wild-eyed woman with a bloody nose holds a toy out in front of her like a demon slayer holds a crucifix. The toy – what is it, a rabbit? A jackalope? – beats a creepy little drum. Faster. Slower. Hotter. Colder. This is how writer/director Damian Mc Carthy opens Caveat and I am in. The woman is Olga (Leila Sykes), and we’ll get back to her in a bit, but first, we’re part of a conversation between the hush-voiced Barrett (Ben Caplan) and the foggy Isaac (Jonathan French). What can we tell from the conversation? They seem to know each other, Isaac’s had some kind of an accident, Barrett needs a favor. The favor involves Olga, that house, and a long stretch of tightly fastened, heavyweight chain. Dude, how good is Mc Carthy at this? An expertly woven tapestry of ambiguity, lies and misunderstanding sink the story into a fog of mystery that never lets up. Isaac’s memory can’t be trusted, but he seems like a good guy. He looks like a good guy. Surely, he is a good guy! He’s just not making good decisions right now. French shoulders the tale, and you hate to compare anything to Guy Pearce in Memento because who can stand up to that? No one, but still, Mc Carthy and French draw on that same type of damaged innocence and unreliable narration to stretch out the mystery. Meanwhile, the filmmaker unveils a real knack for nightmarish visuals, images that effortlessly conjure primal fears and subconscious revulsion. Caveat is not without flaws. Once or twice (when possibly channeling Mario Bava) Mc Carthy dips into camp unintentionally. OK, twice. These moments feel out of place in the unnerving atmosphere he’s created, which makes them stand out all the more. But it’s hardly enough to sink the film. Mc Carthy does a lot with very little, as there are very few locations and a total of three cast members—all stellar. You won’t miss the budget. Mc Carthy casts a spook house spell, rattling chains and all, and tells a pithy little survival story while he’s at it. #HopeMadden

★★★★★ Directed by #StevenSpielberg Starring: #HarrisonFord #SeanConnery #AlisonDoody #JulianGlover Film review by Nathanial Eker By far the most effective film in the "Indy" saga, The Last Crusade remains an emotive, thrilling, and enduring adventure film. It's also the funniest in the series, thanks in no small part to the natural wit and comic timing of Sean Connery as Henry Jones Sr. Indeed, the dynamic between father and son helps Last Crusade stand out as a stellar blockbuster, a rip-roaring nostalgia trip, and the quintessential Indiana Jones experience. After the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones is back and on the hunt for both the Holy Grail and his father (Connery). Those pesky Nazis are back too, and it's the eve of WWII. Suddenly it becomes up to Indy and his Dad to stop Walter Donovon (Julian Glover) from obtaining everlasting life and allowing the Third Reich to conquer the world. Last Crusade perfectly marries its precedessors' greatest traits. It effectively combines Raiders' compelling storyline and homages to classic cinema with Temple of Doom's frantic pace and comedic moments. However, where the latter film relied on offensive cultural stereotypes and gross-out moments, Last Crusade has a staggeringly effective trick up its sleeve: Sean Connery. The casting could not be more appropriate, as the James Bond series is often considered the spiritual father of Spielberg and Lucas' equally iconic adventure saga. Though there's just twelve years between them, the strained parental relationship between the Jones boys is entirely believable. Fortunately for the audience, the two spend the majority of the film bickering; something that could've become more annoying than endearing in the hands of lesser actors. However, Jones Sr. isn't all comic relief. Connery brings a level of authenticity to the character and at times portrays him as a cold, distant father as well as a bumbling historian. An interesting side effect of this performance is the diminishment of Indiana Jones' more "cool" qualities, as Ford is reduced to playing an eternal stroppy teenager riddled with Daddy issues. However, this only makes the character more three-dimensional and relatable and gives Jones Jr. some well needed depth. Like Raiders and Temple of Doom, The Last Crusade is a love letter to 80s prosthetics and practical effects. However, the unearthly demise of the villainous Donovan marks a rare appearance of late 80s CGI. Unfortunately, this effect hasn't aged well, and what 80s kids will remember as a nightmare-inducing fatality is pretty laughable by today's standards. What isn't laughable, however, is the work of John Williams. I may sound like a broken record by now, but Williams really is the heart and soul of the franchise, and the credit is due. Last Crusade not only builds on musical motifs from prior films, it also introduces new classics, such as themes for Indy and Henry and the Holy Grail. The use of Raiders' iconic Ark theme during the film's first third is also a delightful bit of fan service for long-term Indy fanatics. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is the pinnacle of the franchise. A single dodgy bit of CGI aside, there's virtually nothing to dislike about this uplifting and heart-warming cap to the trilogy. Now if only Spielberg had left it at three... #NathanialEker

★★ Directed by: #AnkitSingha Starring: #MoutaliSarkar Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Devika is a story about an Indian housewife, trapped in a loveless marriage and deprived of friendship, family and exploration of the outside world. Her life revolves around domestic chores and catering to her husbands demands. Devika is confined to the same daily routine, with only her childhood books as a form of escapism from the mundane and oppressive lifestyle she has become so accustomed to. Devika’s identity has become lost, however, this film portrays Devika’s fight to gain back her independence and freedom to be her own woman. This piece was created within the lockdown period which should be praised. Creating new and interesting films during this pandemic can be a struggle, but it is always great to know that there are people out there who have been able to adapt and overcome these obstacles. Devika’s first appearance is her reading through her old childhood stories, immersed within its fantastical and fictional world. A place where she could leave reality if only for a short time. These books bring back memories of being a child again, a real sense of nostalgia, when things were a lot simpler, and her head was filled with dreams and endless opportunities. Now Devika is a grown woman, with heavy responsibilities. Devika is depicted as a lonely woman, even though she is married, she is tied to her apartment and the only form of entertainment is cooking, cleaning and acting as a submissive wife to her demanding husband. This short truly evoked this loss of individuality within Devika. The story was moving and told a powerful message, evolving from a heart-breaking story into a momentous triumph as Devika finally breaks away from this domestic entrapment leaving the audience on a cliff-hanger. There were a few teething issues which can be resolved with a few tweaks and experience. The camera angles were shaky in a lot of places and there was some focusing issues which made it difficult to concentrate on some of the scenes which were playing out. The shakiness can become disorientating for the viewer at times. The actual opening scene was also very slow, of course there needs to be a build-up to a scene that is always encouraged. However, the length of this build-up was unnecessary and could have moved in a more direct motion towards the heart of the story. These are of course just small issues which can be easily rectified. This film was certainly an interesting watch, Devika represents many women who are oppressed within society and succumb to this isolated existence. A lot of hope can be taken from this short film, and Devika is a character who should be looked upon as strong and brave in a sense, as she finds the courage to leave this life behind and start again.