A couple find themselves at a major crossroad in both their relationship and their lives. Unable to go back, and apprehensive about moving forward, they ponder what to do next, and what it will mean for both of them. The world just keeps on turning. That is the essence of this brilliantly emotional short. Maya Ahmed captures this crazy turning point in two people's lives - what could be any two people's lives - through, of all things, lunch. When you find yourself in a situation similar to that of the two leads, what else is there to do? And it allows Ahmed to convey what they are feeling. That emptiness and uncertainty is almost palpable, as these two people caught in a whirlwind, struggle with what to do.   Now you'd think, given the subject matter, a film such as this would be all doom and gloom, but it's quite the opposite. If anything, there is a surprising sense of hope to it. A light at the end of this particular tunnel. Only the central couple aren't in the ...

A developer works with the Artificial Intelligence they have created, to help it beat the Turing test and convince others that it's human. There's something oddly Blade Runner  about this intriguing short film. Turing Test  serves as both a fascinating piece of filmmaking and an almost prescient warning. Granted, this isn't the first film to try and warn us about Artificial Intelligence, but this one feels closer to home. It all begins with a simple conversation between said developer and their creation. A catch up, of sorts. Or at least that's how it appears. Yet right from the off, there is a sense that something is off. Leaving the viewer ill at ease, even if they're not entirely sure why. A state in which writer/director Jaschar Marktanner holds his audience for the duration. Marlene Fahnster and Richard Lingscheidt are fantastic in the lead roles. They - along with a clever use of sets, costume and hair & makeup - add to that sense of unease with their cold...

After a brutal lion attack Sergei Kravinoff is saved from death by a young girl and the rare serum gifted to her by her grandmother. The serum not only saves his life, it heightens his senses and increases his strength to superhuman levels. Searching for purpose and looking to get as far away from his criminal father as he can, Sergei becomes ‘The Hunter’. Utilising those newfound skills, he looks to rid the world of evil men. So the Sony Spider-Man Universe ( SSU ) has come to an end. And it is about as far from a glorious death as you can get. Kraven the Hunter  is yet another pretty standard origin story for a  Marvel character owned by Sony , in which said character does not get to meet the Web-Head. This one - which  inexplicably opens to the soundtrack to  The Hunt for Red October -  centres around a rather uninteresting family dynamic in which a father attempts to keep his children close by continuing to be the despicable man they have always loathed. Su...

The 1972 Olympic hostage crisis, as seen from the perspective of the ABC  Sports crew who reported it live from Munich. Learning on the fly, they were the first to broadcast an incident of this kind live around the world. This is one of those stories that not only explores a major historical event, it exposes the viewer to a mostly unseen viewpoint, and does it very well. Over the course of a fairly brisk 90 minutes, writer/director Tim Fehlbaum, along with writers Moritz Binder and Alex David drop us into the world of live TV, circa 1972. Thanks in no small part to some clever use of real footage,  September 5 is both an eye-opening look at what it takes to produce a live broadcast, and a weird way to view such a horrible event. The cramped quarters of the ABC offices in the Olympic park feel very detached from the terrible tragedy that was unfolding just down the road. The trouble is, that taut 90 minute runtime may add a degree of intensity, but it can also give you the i...

Earth 828. Four years ago a team of astronauts returned from a mission to space having been changed by a cosmic storm. Since that day they have used their new found abilities and status to protect their world and to make it a better place. Only now they must fight to protect their own family, as well as the Earth, from the planet consuming Galactus. As Obi Wan Kenobi once said; "You've taken your first steps into a larger world." That's what  Marvel  has done with First Steps . Well, they've opened up that larger world, anyway. Allowing us to step into it. And what an incredible world Earth 828 is. A 1960's image of the future.  Vibrant, hopeful, and uniquely technological.  Except that  on Earth 828 it actually is the 1960's - 1964 to be exact.  It's all very classic Marvel , with a little of The Jetsons and Thunderbirds thrown into the mix. This includes the team's retro look, their car, and their  robot assistant, H.E.R.B.I.E., who is particul...

A former soldier begins a frantic search for her son when he inexplicably disappears inside the US Consulate in Frankfurt. Trouble is, the powers that be within the consulate either don't believe her, or are actively seeking to obstruct her. So she will have to fight to stay free long enough to find him. Exterritorial  begins with a rather relatable and horrifying scenario; the disappearance of a child. Almost instantly the tension begins to crank up, as Sara (Jeanne Goursaud) - a veteran with PTSD - attempts to find her son in a place that is not only alien to her, it's inaccessible. Christian Zübert does a pretty good job of putting you on edge with a sense that something isn't quite right. Only it's unclear whether that something is with the consulate or with Sara, herself. Regardless, it's not long before she kicks into action, utilising her particular set of skills as she hunts for her son and those who took him in this Taken meets Die Hard  scenario. Jeanne G...

Vigilantes with skull themed body armour and radioactive mops, as well as a possible new candidate for the role of 007. It seems we have a lot to talk about. First off; Spider-Man may be making a new friend. Oh the irony... Peter Parker's first solo outing since he made the world forget about him. His first without a super-duper, teched-out Stark suit, and he's going up against a vigilante with more ammunition than the US Marine Corp. That's right, Jon Bernthal is said to be appearing in Spider-Man: Brand New Day  as Frank Castle. Do we know what he's doing? Not really, no. Does it matter? Absolutely not! As long as it involves Frank decimating legions of villains with wilful abandon, whilst engaging in hilarious repartee with Tom Holland's Wall-Crawler. This is going to be a lot of fun! We've already enjoyed seeing Bernthal's Punisher  fight with and alongside Charlie Cox's Daredevil , and now he's finally getting the chance to bring the character t...

A mother struggles with her daughter's addiction issues. But when Claire (Sydney Sweeney) comes home claiming to have accidentally killed her boyfriend, Kate (Julianne Moore) does everything she can to protect her daughter.  Echo Valley  is one of those stories that takes a very real and painful scenario and delivers one of the most extreme outcomes. But it begs the question; 'How far would you go to protect your child?' Although I'm quite sure there aren't many parents who would go as far as Julianne Moore's 'Kate'. Her dedication to her daughter is understandably strong, and while it may not exactly be relatable, it is at least believable that a parent would attempt this sort of thing for their child. And at the same time, you find yourself willing her to say no to Claire, even though you know she won't - at least in this instance. Both Moore and Sweeney deliver stellar performances as mother and daughter. Through it all, they are the movie's r...

Three improv actors are hired to do some low level undercover work for the police. But their improvisation leads them to accidentally infiltrate a major faction of London's criminal underworld. Have you ever sat through a movie waiting for the laughs to happen? That's was my experience with Deep Cover . Watching it with a group of friends, I was expecting the room to be filled with laughter, even if it was just at the ridiculousness of it all. But it never happened. There were some occasional smirks, that was it. And having finished watching it, the general consensus was that the movie is "watchable". It's a pretty standard story that aims for the usual sort of laughs. You certainly don't expect a movie like this to reinvent the wheel. However, the impressive cast do a pretty good job of setting the scene without ever trying to properly invest you in the story. Trouble is it's all painfully predictable. There are absolutely no surprises in store. And the a...

They better not fuck this up! That was my first thought when I heard they were developing a sequel to the beloved sci-fi comedy, Spaceballs . I know I'm not alone in this. In fact, I'm sure there are many people thinking exactly the same thing. Probably even more so, now that the hilarious teaser has dropped. After 40 years, we asked "What do the fans want?" But instead, we're making this movie. Nothing is known of the plot, despite Mel Brooks' helpful introduction, but according to Deadline , the sequel has been described "by those who have not yet read the script" as "A Non-Prequel Non-Reboot Sequel Part 2 but with Reboot Elements Franchise Expansion Film". Which suggests - rather reassuringly - that those involved clearly aren't taking this too seriously, and that it's highly likely  Disney is going to be the butt of many jokes. That last one being rather important! The trouble is, these legacy sequels can be rather risky. On th...