A bunch of mercenaries - and one civilian - find themselves working together after they are all betrayed by the same person. It’s a journey that forces them to examine their own misdeeds as much as those of the people they’re going after. They just have to stay alive long enough to expose this major conspiracy, and convince the powers that be that, on this occasion, they’re not the bad guys. On the face of it, Thunderbolts*  is a typical Marvel  team-up movie. A bunch of super people, who don't get along, are forced to team up in order to save the world, or at least New York. Only this time the super people aren't exactly the cream of the crop. They're not even the B team. In fact, they're probably the last people you'd want to call, unless you're planning something illegal, that is. And even then you wouldn't want them working together. These lone wolves certainly don't play well with others. Which makes it all the more hilarious to watch them try. Yes,...

The tale of two mob bosses; Frank Costello (Robert De Niro) and Vito Genovese (Robert De Niro). Childhood friends, they rose through the ranks of New York organised crime together. But their differing views led to an intense rivalry. One that exploded into violence in 1957, when Vito tried to have Frank killed. Over 25 years ago, Robert De Niro starred in Analyze This , a gangster comedy that referenced the infamous 'Apalachin Meeting'. This was a gathering of mafia bosses from across the US and beyond, famously stumbled upon by New York State Troopers. Now he's back to tell the real story. For the most part it is a fairly standard gangster tale of friendships, rivalries, extreme violence, big cars, and whisperings between some rather animated men in clubs ranging from the somewhat dingy - the movie is named for one such club - to the incredibly fancy. Only this story is told in much the same way your grandfather reminisces about his life... that is, if your grandfather was...

During an epidemic in which people high on bath salts are turning into zombie-like creatures, eating the legs off of any unsuspecting victim, the residents of one apartment complex face their own private hell. It's not safe outside, and it's not much better inside, thanks to the world's most tyrannical landlady. Liz Topham-Myrtle (Brian Patrick Butler) lords it over her tenants, and if any should step out of line she is quick to lash out with extreme punishment. But how long can her reign of terror go on before someone decides it might just be easier to get rid of her? Have you ever watched a movie only to be left wondering what it is that you've just watched? That is the essence of Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea . It is a gross and extreme horror comedy that seems to have something to say about our society. With memories of the pandemic, and lockdown still fairly fresh, there is something strangely familiar about this sordid escapade. You might even find yo...

In the last few years dinosaurs have found it increasingly difficult to survive in the modern day environment. Most of those still with us exist in parts of the world close to the equator. Areas that are now highly restricted. But when it's discovered that the DNA of some species could hold the key to some serious medical advancements, a pharmaceutical executive hires a team of mercenaries to retrieve the necessary samples. This involves travelling to a remote island that was once home to an InGen facility responsible for developing some of their hybrid species. I'm not going to lie, when I first heard they were developing yet another Jurassic World  movie, my initial reaction may not have been all that positive. Which is probably not a surprise given the general reaction to Jurassic World: Dominion . However, it seems this dino franchise still has a few surprises left up its sleeve. Rebirth  may not be able to raise things back to Jurassic Park  levels, but it's def...

Sixty-five million years ago dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Then in 1993 Steven Spielberg and Michael Crichton, along with a few others, brought them back to life. With Jurassic Park , Spielberg did for dinosaurs, what he did for sharks back in 1975. In so doing, the master director added yet another blockbuster hit to his incredible filmography, and created a franchise as giant as the ancient creatures that inspired it. Ever since it arrived in cinemas, Jurassic Park has held the coveted title of OG dinosaur movie. Many have tried to nock it off the top spot - including all the JP / JW sequels that followed it - but none have succeeded. And it's easy to see why. The perfect blend of wonder, humour and horror, it is both an awe-inspiring monster/disaster movie and the perfect metaphor for man's destructive ambitions - our tendency to leap without looking, or even thinking. Which is why Spielberg is able to keep us waiting for the big dinosaur sequences, as he unravels this tragi...

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...