Serpentine Dance by Annabelle (1896)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is an early short film. Annabelle Moore performs a Serpentine Dance.
Similar to many other films this of this period this is a short snippet of a dance. Fine for what it is there is not a huge amount to this one. If you have seen one of this type you have kind of seen them all.
3/5
Challengers (2024)
Directed by Luca Guadagnino this film stars Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor. The love triangle between three tennis players over many years.
At first it seems like this is going to be a fairly cliché sports film however it does do a decent job of adding something a different by adding some real scope to the tale. There are still some bits that are overly melodramatic for my taste, at times things do feel a little forced. As much as a fan of thumping beats as I am the soundtrack did take me out of the moment at times.
4/5
Bitter Lake (2015)
Directed by Adam Curtis this is an experimental documentary. We follow the history of US-Saudi relations and attempts to modernise Afghanistan.
As good as this film is at charting the complicated history of the subject it does rely on a lot of the narrator telling rather than showing. I feel like the film could have done with more interviews rather than dolling out information we are supposed to take unchallenged. Does include some fascinating footage.
3/5
Alpha 27 (2024)
Directed by Nick Azzaro this short film stars Jack I. Garcia and Kadan Well Bennett. In the near future a man faces deportation from Earth.
Very relevant given the state of things in the US and other parts of the world at the moment. Does not go massively deep on the subject. Fine for what it is.
3/5
Tracers (2025)
Directed by Sof Puchley this short film stars Jackie Ho and Louie Champman. As the capital of a planet burns a member of the royalty tries to escape.
Seems to be more interested in budget action than anything else. Lacks some depth or drama. Not a huge amount to this one.
2/5
The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission (1988)
Directed by Lee H. Katzin this television film sequel stars Telly Savalas, Ernest Borgnine, Jeff Conaway and Heather Thomas. The Major and his team head off to stop high ranking Nazis escaping to the Middle East.
Of the three television sequels I think this is likely the best one, it has the least objectionable parts although like the others it does suffer from the shorter run time. The addition of an Alistair McLean style hidden traitor does add something a little fresh to the set up. Fairly decent for what it is.
2/5
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reconing (2025)
Written & directed by Christopher McQuarrie this sequel stars Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell and Simon Pegg. Our heroes have to stop an AI from destroying the world.
Too much exposition and scenes where characters look meaningfully at each other with out much weight behind them weigh the film down far too much. The stunts are fine but everything else is too much of a slog. By this point there is just so much back story that I did not care about or had forgotten.
2/5
