Disappointing

 

Alien: Romulus (2024)

Directed by Fede Alvarez this film stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux and Isabela Merced. Young people trapped on a corporate mine world plan to escape by raiding an abandoned space station.

Mostly this is an average entry into the series, it does not add much and slightly over stays with the last twenty minutes or so. The plot offers something a little interesting in terms of social commentary then never goes anywhere with it. In the end a run of the mill genre piece that squanders the opportunities it has.

2/5

Sinking

 

Red Sun (1971)

Directed by Terence Young this film stars Charles Bronson, Toshiro Mifune, Alain Delon and Ursula Andress. A Samurai travelling in the wild west forces a train robber to help him hunt down the robbers back stabbing partner.

Beyond the cast there is no reason to watch this film, it is two hours of my life I will not get back. Sadly the plot and artistry fall well short of the all star line up. May be an Italian director would have done a better job than Terence Young.

2/5

Big Nose

 

Cyrano de Bergerac (1900)

Directed by Clement Maurice this short film is based on the play of the same name. A short snippet of a scene from a well known play.

No doubt this one is a technical achievement as one of the earliest films to have sound and come in colour. Unfortunately I am unfamiliar with the play this is based on and do not speak French so I did not have much of an idea of what is actually being said in the scene. A decent watch for the era it was made in.

3/5

More dancing

Photo-Cinéma-Théâtre: Christine Kerf dans Terpsichore (1900)

Directed by Marguerite Vrignault this is an early short film. A group of people dance.

Not much to this one, some decent dancing, nothing more. Partially coloured which is nice. Lacks something to really recommend this one on.

3/5

Picture perfect

 

Chez le Photographe (1900)

Directed by Marguerite Vrignault this is an early short film staring Mason and Forbes. A man tries to take a picture of an unruly subject.

A good slapstick comedy that predates some of the bigger names. There are a good amount of japes that fill out the 4 minute run time of this short. Nicely done.

4/5

Spouting off

 

Geezers (2025)

Directed by James Kautz this short film stars Dan Lauria, Cedric Cannon and Yvonna Pearson. A terminally ill man and his friend grouch in the park.

Fine for what it is bit there is not a huge amount to this one. Old man yells at people pretty much. Needs a bit of an arch to it really.

3/5

Foggy

 

F.O.G. (2023)

Directed by Malinda Kaur this is a short film. A South Asian woman in her 30s struggles to tell her mother she is engaged.

I am not sure this adds anything new to the subject but is fairly well done. A familiar look at the clash between the expectations of immigrant parents and their children. Decent performances.

3/5