★★★★ Directed by: Jesse Schluntz Starring: Todd Morehead FilmReview by: JasonKnight A detailed and dramatic insight into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. An American Christian named Todd Morehead leaves California and heads to Israel, hoping to obtain information from individuals from both sides of the conflict and develop an understanding of the general situation. Separated into chapters, this fascinating documentary follows Morehead as he travels around various locations, interviews people and learns a great deal about the conflict's history, what state it has reached today and how it affects the individuals who live in Israel. There is plenty of old footage depicting large crowds protesting, conflicts between civilians and soldiers and people being severely injured. There are many photos that show the military, dead bodies and the aftermath of terror attacks. It should be noted that some of the footage and pictures is quite graphic and distressing. The effects of terrorism are vividly shown in this documentary. The film is very well made, takes the viewer all around various locations and contains a large number of breathtaking shots of cities and landscapes. The Walls of Jerusalem and Israeli checkpoints are also examined. The filmmakers often utilize slow motion and the results look great. Dustin Wise's score creates the right feeling and is a significant contribution. Morehead conducts many interviews with individuals from a variety of religions. He speaks to activists, professors, refugees, journalists, Palestinian Christians and Jewish settlers. The interviewees share their knowledge and experiences and listening to them is captivating. Morehead himself comes across as friendly and intelligent. He narrates with enthusiasm and at several parts he looks into the camera and addresses the audience. His love of surfing is also present, as there are sequences that show him engaging in his beloved sport. There are well executed animated sequences that depict a map of Israel and the surrounding countries, significant historical battles and religious events. Although this film explores an ongoing conflict, it also reveals the positive side of Israelis and Palestinians. The interviewees belong to a variety of religions, are intelligent, have good intentions and appear to be living happy lives. It is also shows Palestinians working with Israelis. Schluntz does an amazing job as the director and captures the beauty of Israel. Hope in the Holy Land is a very respectable achievement and bound to attract the viewer's attention. It provides an informative look into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and makes one wonder what things are going to be like in the future. #JasonKnight

★★★★ Directed by: #AlexanderMachlouzaridesShalit Written by: #AlexanderMachlouzaridesShalit and #IsaacFisher Starring: #NikitasKozlov, #MelissaDavid and #ChristosDrakos Film review by: Brian Penn In this angst ridden, battle torn world we yearn for simplicity and look for the goodness that lurks deep within us. This delightful short film by Alexander Machlouzarides-Shalit is no game changer, but conveys a simple message of the human spirit and how an ordinary gesture can mean so very much. The action takes place on a beach in Cyprus as the new day slowly begins to dawn across a spectacular landscape. Leonidas (Nikitas Kozlov) grabs his fishing rod and quietly creeps away from his home eager to make the most of early morning tides. His mother (Melissa George) catches him and bemoans his obsession with fishing; she wants him to help around the home. Leonidas shrugs off his mother’s pleas for assistance and says he will do his chores later. He reaches the beach and pitches up a monster fishing rod hoping it will catch him a similarly sized fish. A group of young beachcombers show up and note the presence of this young kid with grown-up fishing equipment. Leonidas has a degree of success and tries to figure out how it might best please his mother. He remains determined and single minded; he negotiates a series of tiny battles that would ultimately bring its reward. His own perceptions of life change over the course of a day as he learns the importance of effort and application. Whilst everyone else around him enjoys a nonchalant existence he scurries to make every move count. The sun sets and his mother calls him her levendis; a handsome and gallant man. It almost feels like a theme for Mother’s Day as the piece ends with a heart-warming embrace between mother and son. Moreover, the Cypriot tourist authorities will be grateful for a film that presents a visually stunning portrait and promotional vehicle for the island. However it packs more of an understated punch that will surprise many. It reminds us of our childhood when life was more straight forward, free of emotional frailty; a sweet and endearing testament to the naivety of youth.

★★ Directed by #AlexandreDavidLejuez Starring #DanteFournarel #JeysonMoreno #AlexandreDavidLejuez Film Review by Nathanial Eker Drunkenness takes an experimental plunge into the nauseous feelings of intoxication and anxiety that come from one too many beers. The film explores themes of existentialism, madness, and regret throughout its eighty-minute runtime, yet its slow pace and arduous narrative style harm what could've been an interesting experimental short. Regrettably, it is far, far too long in its current form and though it boasts an intriguing premise, it quickly loses its audience's attention. Dario (David Lejuez) wakes up after a night of partying at his old family mansion in France. He's joined by his two friends/brothers Mazzio (Fournarel) and Ramirez (Moreno), though the two don't initially respond to his presence. It soon becomes clear that all is not as it seems as Dario tries to escape a waking nightmare bought on by alcohol but perpetuated by his own subconscious. Drunkenness manages to convey a lot through its visual style. The combination of a slightly clouded lens and a somewhat other-worldly mise-en-scene (albeit one grounded in post-teenage vices) makes for a creepy setting that is immediately impactful. Equally, the shifting colour palette further exemplifies how Dario moves further and further from reality with every passing hour/minute/second? A timeframe is never clear. However, the consistent use of strobe effects is obnoxiously intense and will likely be unsuitable for anyone with even slight epilepsy. The film's sound design fares better. The droning howls of technologically produced non-diegetic sounds clash with the diegesis of beautiful music from a grand piano. Thematically, Drunkenness explores issues of existentialism and regret through an intoxicated protagonist brimming in boozey anxiety. Indeed, Dario's dour reflections on life, career choices, and relationships are more than relatable for anyone who's ever had one too many and started harping on about their greatest regrets. Equally, the issues of coming to terms with one's existence will be familiar to viewers of both experimental films and those who've had an intense trip or two. Of course, most people don't go on to commit murder, but the final act of violence is a suitable climax to Dario's descent into insanity. Regrettably then, Drunkenness fails to sell itself as it ambles around and repetitiously reinforces the same dialogue time and again without much rhyme or reason. Of course, dialogue can be effectively vapid and nonsensical in experimental cinema, yet the groans and grunts of director/lead Alexandre David Lejuez soon start to become grating instead of frightening. While the vision is clear, its execution is poor, and the film becomes incredibly dull. Drunkenness is visually appealing and boasts excellent sound design and an unnerving premise. Unfortunately, the sheer length of the project dilutes every ounce of tension. While we're left to ponder the complexities of the protagonist's condition, the film's lack of direction ultimately leads it to become what experimental films should never be: boring. Hardcore fans of experimental flicks looking for a bizarre journey into the subconscious with some neat sound design may enjoy it. However, for most, it's probably better to stay teetotal than indulge in Drunkennness. #NathanialEker

★ Directed by: #JamesCrow Written by: #AdamStephenKelly Starring: #BillyMurray, #NickMoran, #FrankHarper Film Review by: Patrick Foley I started Nemesis thinking it may end up sitting alongside countless other British gangster flicks as a bit of a guilty pleasure. Instead, I came away just feeling guilty for having watched it. This tiresome cliché-filled mess is eye-rollingly bad – an at-times detestable example of the worst of British cinema. John Morgan (Billy Murray), an aging gangster, returns to London from abroad with retirement plans in mind. But a down-on-his-luck copper with a score to settle, Frank Conway (Nick Moran), has got the drop on him and is determined to take him down. As Morgan unveils his plans to his family, a power struggle begins to form. And at a dinner held to meet his daughter Kate’s (Ambra Moore) new girlfriend Zoe (Lucy Aarden), the consequences of his dark actions return to threaten everyone… Nemesis is terrible. The acting is terrible – with brit-flick veterans like Billy Murray and Nick Moran practically on geezer autopilot whilst fresher faces like Lucy Aarden and Ambra Moore are left directionless. The ‘story’ is terrible - incoherent nonsense compiled of random plot-twists and set-pieces that receive zero build-up. And the production is cheap and shoddy, with laughably bad takes that suggest everyone involved just wanted this whole thing to be done with as soon as possible. The script deserves a particular noting for how dreadful it is. The dialogue is comprised almost entirely of worn-out, growled entendres about ‘the business’, or endless rambling monologues from characters determined to lay out their entire life story to the person they are supposedly desperate to kill. It is baffling just how long certain scenes drag on for. If you told me the director dozed off without shouting ‘cut!’ I would believe you - and I wouldn’t blame him either. The sheer amount of garbage on-screen could almost place the film in the Wiseau zone of so-bad-it’s-good. But the film has a quite repugnant heart to it that leaves you feeling angry towards it, rather than pitiful. Veteran viewers of brit-gangster flicks will be used to gratuitous swearing, and the script is carpet-bombed with F and C words to the point where they lose all meaning. The film’s depiction of women however is particularly vile, with every female character a personality vacuum that shares the same voice - until one randomly turns psychotic and then into an Antifa warrior for some reason. And that’s not to mention one of the most pointless, sleazy and outright uncomfortable nude scenes in recent memory. The film is practically Zoo magazine come to life. Positives of the film are few and far between. Conway’s conversation with a barman at his lowest ebb is one of the film’s better scenes (being boring and forgettable, rather than cringeworthy). He is painted effectively as the film’s only redeemable character and seems destined for an emotional confrontation with his old foe. This is all swiftly undone at the end of course as his storyline is rendered utterly pointless by the film’s need to satisfy its most ludicrous twist. Beyond that, unless you really like hearing cockneys deliver F-bombs, there is nothing here worth withstanding the rest of the film for – and if that is your thing, you’re better off just hanging around the Olympic Stadium at around 5:30pm on a Saturday. For what should’ve been no-brainer, by-the-numbers gangster film #873, Nemesis is boring, lazy and derivative – and that is it at it’s best. At its worst it is an offensive, nasty relic that verges on torture porn. The real torture is the one the audience is subjected to. Nemesis will be available from 29th March on DVD here and Digital Download

★★★★ Directed by: Chris Hallas Written by: Chris Hallas Starring: Amanda Gordon, Shona Graham, Rosie Steel, Sam Tutty FilmReview by: JasonKnight Three young candidates experience a job interview they will never forget. Two girls and one boy have reached the final stage of an interview process and one of them will be successful. They are sitting at a table, with the company's HR, when the alarm and power go off. They then receive a text message informing them that a missile is about to attack. Believing that they have four minutes to live, the four of them try to pull themselves together, reflect on their lives and contemplate how they should spend their final moments. The title will likely make people think of the single Four Minute Warning by Mark Owen and Eliot Kennedy, which was released in 2003. The song is based on the Four-minute warning, a public alert system formulated by the British Government during the Cold War, which was based on the approximate time it would take a ballistic missile to reach its target from the moment it is detected. And that four minute period is the core of the film. What should one do if they have just a few minutes to live? The entire narrative consists of one scene and takes place in real time. Although the plot evolves around four characters who believe they are about to die, the narrative is filled with humour, with references to English pop group Take That and some protagonists suggest that they should have intercourse. There is also drama, as they regret things they did not do in the past. All of the protagonists deliver very entertaining performances and it is clear that they are having a lot of fun with their characters. It is very entertaining watching them as they unwillingly offend each other and contemplate spending their final moments having sex and heartbreaking as one of them is saddened by the thought of never seeing their children again. Hallas's script contains interesting characters and clever dialogue and he directs effectively, creating a well-executed long take. Composer Liam Colomer does a great job. The score is amusing or dramatic when required and the addition of the Four Minute Warning track during the closing credits ends the film perfectly. Speaking of the closing credits, they are animated and look fantastic. This short, dark comedy looks at an extraordinary situation: four people trying to figure out what to do during the four minutes they have to live. The film is funny and dramatic and might make the viewer consider what they want to include in their bucket list. #JasonKnight

★★★ Directed by: Evan Kidd Written by: Evan Kidd Starring: Damien Elliott Bynum, Melissa Cowan Rattray Film Review by: Vikas Yadav Each one of us has our own way of dealing with grief. The pain of losing a loved one has such a significant effect that we seek shelter away from the crowd. In despair, we lose any motivation to work, which hinders our professional life. We cling to the bed and replay those good old memories in our minds. Kamus Leonardo (Damien Elliott Bynum) has lost his Destiny. Sure, he is unable to rap (he is a rapper), but Destiny is also the name of his girlfriend. She is dead, leaving Kamus in a disordered state. He is unable to write lyrics for his next rap. He prefers lying in his bed with a bag of chips close by. Kamus also calls in sick so that he could skip work and repose on his couch. He is not ready to be active in his career or open communication, for that matter. But Kamus is not alone. Apparently, there is something more than a packet of chips keeping him company. It’s a Panda (Melissa Cowan Rattray hides behind the furry costume). Of course, this Panda exists in his imagination. With whatever nanoscopic influence the Panda has, it uses it to motivate Kamus to go out and work or talk to his friends. It’s ironic to see an animal known for its clumsiness trying to encourage someone to achieve something. But then, Kamus is behaving like a panda. Only laziness is coursing through his blood. Funny how the roles are reversed. Also, think for a minute, and you will understand that we (or some individuals) basically turn into a panda when in grief. We eat and roll around and then eat again. The cycle continues. However, the chubby bearlike mammal is not always sad when doing this activity. It’s nice how the characters in Evan Kidd’s movie do not keep on repeating the “how are you doing?” line to Kamus. I don’t even remember anyone asking him this question. These characters know what he is going through and give him his space to heal. Although for his own good, they want him to get up on his feet, and so Kamus’ grandmother tries to set up a date for him. My favorite scene happens when Kamus opens up to a farmer (Eric Hartley) on his property. While Kamus talks about what he would have done if he had more time with her girlfriend, the farmer reveals the sadness behind living away from the bustle of the city and family. “Sometimes you want the bother,” he says to Kamus, who shows a liking towards the low-key environment. Our time spent with a beloved someone is often recalled with a tinge of paradise. We make up heavenly details (like brighter colors or sweeter smiles) that would not have existed in reality. When Kamus thinks of Destiny, we watch them in a happy place with sunshine falling like a blessing around them. Ultimately, Panda Bear It reassures that you are in no way the first person ever who goes through a certain period of misery. To borrow a few words from a rap song in the film - You’re not alone.

★★★ Directed by #StephenKijak Written by #LorianneHall #StephenKijak Starring #EllarColtrane #JoeManganiello Film Review by Matt Weiner Never meet your heroes. That goes double for present-day Morrissey, frontman for the Smiths. But Shoplifters of the World looks back at a more innocent era in 1987, the day the band broke up, and conjures up a time when the Manchester rock band was the Beatles for disaffected teens who traded in mop tops for asymmetrical haircuts. And Denver, Colorado—if you believe the urban legend that inspired the film—was ground zero for overenthusiastic Smiths fans. Director Stephen Kijak reimagines the night that distraught fan Dean (Ellar Coltrane, Boyhood) held a radio station hostage, forcing the DJ to play nonstop Smiths songs. While Dean remains holed up at the radio station with the DJ, Full Metal Mickey (Joe Manganiello, perfection as a heavy metal himbo), Dean’s friends grieve and celebrate one last big night together before figuring out their lives post-high school. That includes college, the Army, and for Cleo (Helena Howard), a general sort of Linklater malaise that seems to befall suburban teens on the eve of life’s next big adventure. The film sets Cleo and the gang’s exploits to Smiths songs, along with contemporary interviews with band members that serve as a reminder of how much the Smiths meant for music, especially pop and indie rock, in an age of big hair and even bigger power chords. Even though the film is a love letter to the Smiths, it’s as much about the insular obsession of finding meaning through art. Even diehard metalhead Mickey comes to appreciate the way all these young fans have experienced an era-defining shock in their young lives. Still, it’s hard to shake the sense that the entire night’s events come down to a group of surly teens gatecrashing a bunch of parties to force everyone to listen to their music instead of having a good time… and yet everyone is still exceedingly polite to all the assholes in eyeliner. This is also a painfully recognizable part of both obsessive fandoms and a good coming of age story. The mix of low stakes self-discovery and winsome leads helps keep their night out more charming than cringeworthy. Shoplifters is content to go big on soundtrack and mood, and it’s a choice that works. There isn’t a ton of depth to the ensemble friends—the film is often too busy setting up just the right music cue. But when you have the music rights to take those cues from the likes of Morrissey and Johnny Marr, a little bit of charm goes a long way. #MattWeiner

★★ Directed by: Andreas Ortner Written by: Helmut-Michael Kemmer Starring: Andreas Ortner, Martina Martinz Film Review by: Vikas Yadav Just as I was beginning to bask in the beauty of this village named Wildegg, the narrator of Andreas Ortner’s Change of Course told me to snap out of it as this short is not a fairy tale. Really? It’s a pity because I was more than willing to submit myself for nine minutes of sightseeing. Because, in comparison, what this short offered was far less interesting or attractive. Let me rephrase my words. It’s not actually about the topic it conveys but the way it conveys it to us. Change of Course is about the current pandemic, highlighting the cons the virus bought with it. It changed the course of our normal life. Earlier, we only needed to concentrate on dressing our bodies. Now we also need to make sure that our faces remain covered in public. Two people - a male and a female - narrate lines directly to us. They are Andreas Ortner and Martina Martinz. Martinz has her eyes covered with a cloth. Is she representing the ignorance of human beings, or is she unable to face how careless some people have become even during a pandemic? I spent a good amount of time thinking about it because I was not so impressed by Change of Course. Or shall I say, there was a change of course from my side with respect to the narrative of this short film? Ortner raises concerns about quarantine. How it has boxed us in isolation and separated us from one another. He is worried that this physical severance could lead to detachment in the emotional bond between our families, friends, and relatives. According to him, the elders and sick loved ones are perishing “not from the virus, but from loneliness.” As the short progresses, Change of Course makes a vague connection between the virus, war, and art. I don’t know what happened there, but the image of people taking off their masks seemed a bit troubling. I am not sure what the intention here is, but people, please do not take off your masks in public. Watching Change of Course felt more like watching a conspiracy video on YouTube. The only difference being that Change of Course is shot considerably better than the online video. It’s flashy and zaps at some points. While I was not invested in it, I enjoyed the scenery. Maybe an extra star for the gorgeous view?

★★★ Directed by: Bryan Spicer Written by: John Kamps, Arne Olsen Starring: Jason David Frank, Amy Jo Johnson, Haim Saban and David Yost Throwback Film Review by: Rachel Pullen Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie review Remember the other week when I harped on about being more than a one-trick pony and that I could review more than just horror films, and then accidentally watched Wrong Turn and failed myself? Yeah well, the joke’s on you because I am more than a one-trick pony and demand to be taken seriously as a film critic and that's why in this Throwback Thursday film review we are going to talk about the 1995 hit, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie...insert theme music here. If you weren't born or were living under a rock in the ‘90s, you may have not heard of the Power Rangers, so to sum it up quickly: they were a group of clean-cut American teens who would fight big robots or creatures, or ninjas, or Africanized bees, in their brightly coloured costumes, and if they had to fight say Godzilla they got in these cool animal-shaped vehicles that ''morphed '' into a robot and fought in the city centre, causing more financial damage than they cared to be accountable for. So like all popular kid shows, Hollywood came a-knocking, toy companies came screaming, and they eventually made a movie. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie follows our preppy teens as they roller skate in formation around the city and are generally faceless and dull, but they spring into action when some construction workers uncover an egg, which in turn releases Ivan Ooze, a purple gummy like man who is all upset that he was imprisoned by Zordan (the good guy the Power Rangers work for) and so wreaks havoc on the city and Zordan himself. The Rangers suck against the purple dude so they go on vacation to see this lady, she wears a bikini, we swoon, she gives them power animals so they are stronger and they go back to the city...the best part of this scene is when the black Power Ranger is bummed his power animal is a frog and then the dude next to him get a falcon just to rub salt in the wound, personally, a toad is cool, I mean Hypno Toad from Futurama kicks ass, so swings and roundabouts I guess. They go back to the city, they fight Ivan Ooze, he and his henchmen get an ass whopping from these teen dreamboats and Zordan is resurrected so that he can continue to befriend teenagers for millions of more years or however old he is....Fin. Now, I know this is a kid’s movie, and I'm not expecting great works, but the Power Rangers have zero personality. All they can muster up is a few phrases such a ''radical'', and ''way to go dude'', when someone does a kung fu kick...which is all the time, they actually have these poor actors do kung fu moves to just cross from place A to place B when there is any conflict on-screen...jeeze, everyone knows the most terrifying way to approach your enemy is on a golf buggy, some one please get them some colour co-ordinated golf buggies!! The best part of this movie is Ivan Ooze, he actually has a sense of humour, and dialogue behind him, and coupled with his henchmen, a pig and some kind of warthog in BDSM gear, you get a few good laughs and pop culture references from the gang, in fact, they are the only thing that kept me going in this movie, that and the bikini lady, but she turned into an owl and well...I'm not attracted to owls, wow never thought I would have to say that in a film review. This movie was designed to sell toys and make kids want to kung fu kick their dads in the balls, and the fact we don't care about the Power Rangers enough to even know their names, but just say the blue one and the red one, speaks volumes to how dull they are on screen, but hey your 7 years old and your favourite colour is blue so you want to be the blue ranger and buy all the merch right? Right...marketing at its best. As a watch for the kids it’s definitely entertaining enough, and for all you adults out there looking for a trip down memory lane it certainly has some adult jokes from our homeboy Ivan Ooze to keep us engaged...that and that sexy owl....I mean, woman...sexy woman, never an owl. So what can we take away from this week’s blast from the past? Leave all eggs alone Feel blessed if your spirit animal is a toad And always approach any scene of conflict in a golf buggy #RachelPullen

★★★ Directed by #JustinHardin #RobBrunner Written by #JustinHardin Starring #AlanaElmer #TimLoden Film Review by Hope Madden Call me superficial, but I really enjoy those old school, pre-credit scares in horror films. (I am also a sucker for post-credit stingers, if I’m being totally honest.) Done well, they set a tone, freak you out, and make you simultaneously afraid to watch the rest of the film and unwilling to turn away. Writer/co-director Justin Harding knows this, obviously. With a brief but exceptionally chilly opening sequence, he and co-director Rob Brunner dare you to finish their film, Making Monsters. Christian (Tim Loden) and Allison (Alana Elmer) are planning for their wedding, beginning steps toward IVF, and struggling with the changes this is going to mean in their relationship as well as their livelihood. Apparently, their whole gig is a popular online prank show consisting of Christian scaring the poop out of Allison twice a week. And she’s marrying him? They run into an old friend, he invites them to his rustic new digs way out in BFE, and they sneak away for a quiet weekend. Or is it another prank? If you think the viral prank horror premise is weak and tired, you are spot on. Luckily, Making Monsters doesn’t beat it to death, nor do they rely on found footage or a ton of shaky cam or even a lot of slickly produced viral videos. It’s all in there, but some of it serves a narrative purpose and none of it really wears out its welcome. Elmer is especially solid, delivering a nuanced and believable character who loves and accepts Christian and remains optimistic that he, too, is ready to grow up. Allison is dimensional, and though it takes some time to realize it, so is Christian. Jonathan Craig is a good time in a weird role, although he pulls too many tricks from Mark Duplass’s bag of magic to be truly fresh. Still, he’s fun in his own way and the rapport among the three main players rings true enough to elevate the material around them. Not everything lives up to that first shock, but the next 80ish minutes of Making Monsters are worth a watch. #HopeMadden

★★★ Directed by #JaumeBalaguero Written by #RowanAthale #MichelGaztambide #BorjaGlezSantaolalia #AndresMKoppel #RafaMartinez Starring #FreddieHighmore #LiamCunningham #SamRiley Film Review by George Wolf If we were going to add a third certainty to join death and taxes, how about the fact that heist movies are fun? A good one makes you want to go assemble your crack team to trade quips, try on parkas and steal a Picasso. A bad one just makes you want to watch the good ones again. The Vault (formerly titled Way Down) borrows from a host of similar films, keeping the formula familiar, the pulse quick and the scenery exciting for a ridiculous caper that never takes itself too seriously. Freddie Highmore is Thom, a 22 year-old engineering genius fresh from the University of Cambridge. Bored by all the job offers from Big Oil, his interest is piqued by a mysterious opportunity to “change his life.” Adventurer Walter Moreland (Liam Cunningham) offers Thom a spot on his “salvage” team, and the chance at untold riches. The plan? Break into the Bank of Spain and steal a centuries-old treasure first buried by Sir Francis Drake. The vault holding the booty is a puzzle of engineering yet to be solved, and Moreland is counting on Thom to be the big brain that outsmarts it. The upper-crust thieves will have a timely distraction on their side. Spain’s World Cup final will be shown on a Jumbotron set up right outside the bank, meaning that during the match, all security cameras will be pointed at the huge crowd of soccer fans flooding the street, and not at the bank itself. The script-by-committee mentions “Danny Ocean” early on, which is just stating the obvious. The Italian Job and Now You See Me, Now You Don’t will also come to mind, but director Juame Balagueró ([REC] and [REC2]) isn’t pretending he’s breaking new ground, just trying out a new playground. Balagueró keeps his pace impatient from the opening minutes. Expect a succession of fake outs, multiple “We’re screwed!” exclamations and a shameless amount of “all is lost” moments. Realizations come only at the most fortuitous junctures and the tests to Thom’s genius never seem quite that strenuous. And the effect of all of that on the film isn’t nearly as deadly, or taxing, as it should be. The two hour run time feels about half that. Balagueró gives his camera a stylish flow and keeps us supplied with plenty of opportunities to feel like we’re in on the con, and have a stake in the success of the heist. And you know what that is? Fun. #GeorgeWolf

★★★★ Directed by: Jaime April, Jason Moon Written by: Jaime April, Jason Moon Starring: Jason Moon, Jaime April, Rosie Ashton, Fearghus O'Sullivan, Miguel Sanchez Film Review by: Jason Knight A Wild West story. An animated musical involving puppetry about a gunslinger arriving at a small town and the effects his presence has on the locals. Johnny West, a lonesome and quiet man is riding his horse and reaching an isolated settlement, where he is greeted by the residents and their sheriff, while the crooks are against him and decide to get rid of him. Will Johnny manage to defeat the bad guys and live happily ever after with the sheriff's daughter, Penelope? This short is basically a puppet show and a rather entertaining one too. It is filled with likeable characters, enjoyable music and beautiful settings. The characters are stick puppets and the creation of April. They were drawn, hand-painted and cut into the required shape, then attached to a stick. They look simple and at the same time look great. Their appearance clearly indicates that they belong in the Wild West. The backgrounds such as the desert, town and interior settings look like paintings and they were created with a great deal of care and attention to detail. They create a Wild-West feeling and atmosphere. With the exception of brief narration, the entire narrative is told through lyrics. April and Moon are Canadian musicians and they wrote and recorded all of the songs. Each signing sequence is rather pleasing to the ear and eye, as not only are the numbers' melodies and lyrics fun, it is quite satisfying watching the characters as they dance. The editing was done effectively, with good use of circle wipe transaction. The filmmakers also utilize title cards, which works well for a Western-themed film. There is one awkward sequence that involves hallucinations, during which West's figure moves in front of live action footage of streets filled with people. Though it does not spoil the film, it comes across as unexpected and unnecessary. It should be mentioned that there is some obscene language and a bit of nudity (but not graphic). There is also blood when a character is shot dead. This achievement had a lot of work and dedication put into it and the end result proves that. It offers twenty minutes of entertainment, where viewers can enjoy, admire and appreciate the songs, story, animation and puppetry and take a trip to the Wild West. #JasonKnight