A ventriloquist who also works as a private detective is hired by a mysterious woman struggling to deal with a stalker. As they begin their investigation, the PI and his dummy find themselves marooned, along with their client, at a creepy hotel in an isolated village. But when guests start dying, the duo realise they've got more than just a stalker to deal with. Usually when watching a murder mystery, the ventriloquist is the suspect. It's just a question of who's in charge; the dummy or the guy running them. But in an amusing twist,  The Dummy Detective  flips that on its head by having the dummy and his right hand man - so to speak - do the investigating. The whole thing kind of feels like a get together at Agatha Christie's house. Well, a puppet convention, anyway. The result is a crazy mash-up of genres and styles.  Set in the modern day, but inspired by classic noir movies. It's   And Then There Were None  with puppets.  All of which gives the mystery ...

During the Great Depression, sisters Tinsley and Mattie Wilde, two clueless socialites from New York, are sent to Washington State after their father commits suicide. There they face the elements, wild animals, merciless killers, and people they're used to looking down on. All without the creature comforts they are more than accustomed to. How will they survive? Everybody loves a fish-out-of-water story. Seeing someone struggle to adjust to a situation and/or environment they are clearly not suited to can be rather hilarious. Especially when said person is somewhat unlikeable. Which is exactly what you get with The Wilde Girls ... one of them, anyway. Writer/director Timothy Hines' cartoonishly calamitous trek into the woods is delightfully reminiscent of Disney 's classic cartoons. Tinsley (Lydia Pearl Pentz) and Mattie (Cali Scolari) lost in the wilderness is amusing all by itself, especially with Tinsley being so irritatingly snooty - think Jack Black as Bethany in Juman...

Two people at a turning point in their lives attempt to figure out where their relationship is going through a discussion on Beethoven's famous piece of music; Für Elise.  Perspective is a word that springs to mind when it comes to Jaschar Marktanner's fascinating short film, Für Elise . More importantly, how perspectives may differ from one person to the next. Watching Tobias Mosig's 'Ludwig' play the titular piece of music - beautifully, I might add - as he regales a mildly interested Elise (Marlene Fahnster) with what turns out to be a (spoiler alert) fictional tale behind the origins of Beethoven's famous work, is at first quite charming. Until, that is, Elise destroys it with her own, arguably more relevant perspective. The thing is, they aren't really talking about music. From the moment they appear on screen, it is clear how familiar these two are with each other, and yet it all feels very awkward. Something is clearly off, which only adds to the intr...

A meticulous diamond thief (Chris Hemsworth) targets jewellery stores neighbouring the 101 freeway in Los Angeles. In need of some intel for his next job, the thief begins cultivating a relationship with a high end insurance agent (Halle Berry), disappointed with the lack of forward motion in her career. All while the one cop (Mark Ruffalo) who has connected the 101 robberies slowly closes in. I think it's fair to say that Bart Layton's latest crime thriller has some serious Heat vibes. Obviously this works in the movie's favour, even if Crime 101  doesn't quite meet the incredibly high bar set by Michael Mann's classic tale of cops and robbers. But it is still a slick and stylish thriller, that sees Hemsworth's complicated thief steal millions of dollars in diamonds by intentionally avoiding violence. It's a brilliant performance, in which we see something a little different from the Thor  actor. Yes he's playing a career criminal, but not what you’d ca...