Summoning the Spirits (1899)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A man summons the visage of spirts.
A simple camera trick allows for this magical presentation. As Melies magic goes this is not the most fantastical. Fine for what it is.
3/5
The Surrender of Tournavos (1897)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. We see a recreation of a scene of battle.
Unfortunately the historical context of this short is something I am not familiar with. As a stand alone the action is fine, fairly entertaining and a decent little plot to follow. Some of the scenery is a little shaky giving away the false nature of the set up.
2/5
The Terrible Eruption of Mount Pelee and Destruction of St. Pierre, Martinique (1902)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A volcano blows its top.
A full special effects extravaganza in this 1900s disaster movie. Now sure things here might not live up to later efforts but it still pretty impressive what Melies has achieved here. Unfortunately the image quality on surviving print does not seem to be the best.
3/5
Arrival of a Train at Vincennes Station (1896)
Directed by George Melies this is an early short film. A train arrives at the station.
The content of this film is just too similar to what you would find in the Lumiere or Edison catalogues rather than the flair you expect from Melies. It does not help the image of this short is pretty degraded. Not worth seeking out.
2/5
Turtles All the Way Down (2024)
Directed by Hannah Marks this film based on the novel of the same name stars Isabela Merced, Cree, Felix Mallard and Maliq Johnson. A highschooler living with OCD reconnects with an old friend after his father goes missing.
I have to admit I have not read the novel the film is based on but anyone familiar with writer John Green will spot a lot of common elements with his other work. The best part of the film is the way it brings OCD to the screen in a human way without it being a gimmick as so often the case in cinema. Manages to rise above the genre elements thanks to the focus on mental health.
4/5
The Doctor and the Monkey (1900)
Directed by George Melies this is an early short film. A monkey escapes from a cage and wrecks havoc on a doctor's house.
Pretty simple in terms of chaos comedy. The backdrop and set is decent thanks to Melies's penchant for the theatrical. A fun little short.
3/5
Blue Beetle (2023)
Directed by Angel Manuel this comic book adaptation stars Xolo Mariduena, Bruna Marquezine and Susan Sarandon. Having just finished college a young Mexican ends up bonded with alien technology.
This film does not take itself too seriously but does not really have enough humour to carry the non serious nature of the film. As superhero films go this one is fine, it just has nothing to recommend it on. In the end rather forgettable.
2/5
Post No Bills (1896)
Directed by Geoges Melies this is an early short film. A soldier wanders off from his post and two men fight over placing adverts on the wall.
A pretty simple short with a bit of humour to it. Not laugh out loud funny but amusing at least. Not really what you expect from the magician Melies.
3/5
Adventures of William Tell (1898)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A clown makes a statue come alive.
To be honest I am not nearly familiar enough with the story of William Tell to be able to work out what is going on here. The set dressing, costumes and effects are decent but I am slightly flummoxed by the action. Not the best of Melies in my opinion.
3/5
Panorama from Top of a Moving Train (1898)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. We see the view from the top of a moving train.
There are a number of panoramas from moving trains knocking about from this period however this is the only one I have seen with the camera placed on top of the train. The camera placement makes this one more exciting than the usual even if the scenery is nothing special. A nice break from he usual.
3/5
Cult Killer (2024)
Directed by Jon Keeyes this film stars Alice Eve, Antonio Banderas and Paul Reid. A PI looks into the murder of her mentor.
From an uninspired title we get an equally uninspired film, a predictable plot strays from reality into a number of familiar tropes. I am also not really sure about the subtext of the film as far as its point of view on survivors of childhood sexual assault, it seems pretty offensive really. Even being a big Alice Eve fan could not get me through this one.
1/5
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (2023)
Directed by writer & star Nia Vardalos this film also features John Corbett, Louis Manylor and Elena Kampouris. A family of Greek ex-pats return home to visit the village their father came from.
This is a very lazy attempt to keep a series going, the plot is thin and predictable while the humour is sadly lacking. Maybe for those with Greek roots this one is still worth watching but I suspect not. Not worth seeking out.
2/5
The Mysterious Portrait (1899)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A man magically creates a portrait of himself.
Simple in concept this film is well executed for the period. There is a nice backdrop which certainly adds to the piece. The version I saw was pretty scratched up, hopefully better prints exist out there.
3/5
Divers at Work on the Wreck of the “Maine” (1898)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. Three divers work on the wreck of a ship, extracting a body from it.
From a visual point of view this is a pretty fantastic film for the period it was made in. The special effects may not be up to much these days but for the period they are very impressive. Very fun little watch.
4/5
An Impossible Balancing Feat (1902)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A man balances copies of himself on his head and hands.
Using camera tricks this short pulls off seemingly impossible feats. To the modern eye it is pretty clear what is going on here, the camera tricks are fairly obvious. Kind of disappointing that the impressive backdrop at the start does not hang around.
3/5
After the Ball (1897)
Directed by Georges Melies this short film stars Jane Brady and Jehanne d'Alcy. A woman is undressed by her servant.
Not as salacious as you might imagine, the film does not full commit to the bit. Instead of water coal dust is used for the “bath” which is a bit silly really. Not Melies's greatest contribution to cinema.
2/5
Some Other Woman (2023)
Directed by Joel David Moore this film stars Amanda Crew, Tom Felton and Ashley Greene. A woman has a midlife crisis that turns sinister.
This is a fairly decent look at what happens when you start to wonder if you are really happy with the path you have chosen for your life. Some of the film does verge on “mystical negro” territory which would have been better avoided in my opinion. Overall decent with some haunting parts.
3/5
The Blackening (2022)
Directed by Tom Story this film stars Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler and Mevlin Gregg. Several African American friends have a reunion at a cabin in the woods.
There are some good ideas and decent meta genre references here however nothing ever really goes beyond the obvious. Fun but not much more than that. I can not help feeling there was a bit more could have been had here from the concept.
3/5
Force of Nature: The Dry 2 (2024)
Directed by Robert Connolly this sequel based on the novel of the same name stars Eric Bana an Anna Torv. Financial crimes police find their key witness has gone missing on a corporate retreat into the bush.
Unfortunately the writing of this film is terrible, some characters are non existent and plot twists make no logical sense. I really liked the previous film in the series so it is a shame how bad this one is. Really not worth watching at all.
2/5
The Pillar of Fire (1899)
Directed by Georges Melies this film stars the director and Jehanne d'Alcy. A devil conducts a ritual with a pot over a fire.
A scene worthy of any good d&d campaign is on show here. Melies is making a film well ahead of its time in terms of the level of artistry on show here. You will be hard pressed to find anything even close to this level in the same period.
4/5
A Terrible Night (1896)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A man trying to sleep is menaced by a large spider.
A pretty simple comedy with use of “special” effects. Fairly well made for the period is pretty much what you expect. Not the greatest spectacle to come from Melies.
3/5
The Vanishing Lady (1896)
Directed by star Georges Melies this film also features Jehanne d'Alcy. A man makes a woman disappear.
Unfortunately this film is let down by the fact that the cut to make the magic trick work is very obvious. A fun little piece of stage magic let down by the editing. Not the best of Melies's early trick photography.
2/5
The Four Troublesome Heads (1898)
Directed by and staring Georges Melies this is an early short film. A man takes off his head and grows a new one several times.
A simple camera trick allows for one of the early special effects films. Fine for what it is, well done and pretty funny. A nice little piece for the period.
3/5
Monolith (2022)
Directed by Matt Vesely this film stars Lily Sullivan as the sole on screen presence. A disgraced journalist gets a job running a podcast on unsolved mysteries.
There is a moment where this film looks destined for greatness as it attempts to stitch together concepts from some familiar sci-fi giants, the problem is the ending does not really deliver. I did enjoy large parts of this film and I think it almost has something very relevant to say about the podcast industry. Lily Sullivan does a fantastic job carrying the film.
4/5
Out of Darkness (2022)
Directed by Andrew Cumming this film stars Safia Oakley-Green and Chuku Modu. Six humans in the Paleolitich era travel to a new land and find themselves to be hunted.
Very minimalist in terms of plot there are no big surprises in this survival horror film. I do wonder if there is a little bit too much of projecting modern views on ancient people, otherwise a decent watch. Fairly well made, some lovely background shots of Scotland.
3/5
The Equalizer 3 (2023)
Directed by Antoine Fuqua this film stars Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning. Our hero is in Italy and gets shot in the back by a kid.
What plot there is here seems like something of an after thought and is very predictable. The highlight is seeing Washington and Fanning work together again so long after Man on Fire. Despite attempts to add in a layer of Catholic guilt there is nothing new here, this does not seem like a sequel that was worth making.
2/5
The Red Ball (2024)
Directed by George Morgan this is an animated short film. A family leave London for a new home after the death of one of their sons.
I found this to be a nice little short about grief. The plot is nothing new or special but is fairly touching. The animation and art style is a good reflection of the child's point of view the story comes from.
3/5
Merger (2022)
Directed by Daniel Negret this short film stars Jonas Tesifa and Nick David. A man working late at the office gradually becomes sucked into his keyboard and desk.
As short horror films go this one is fairly well done, taking a simple idea and running with it. Sure there is not really much of a plot here but the on screen terror of a man being consumed is enough to hold your attention. Solid for what it is.
3/5
The Cocoon (2023)
Directed by David Shen this is a short animated film. A man's attempts to clean a room are thwarted by his dirty feet.
I am not sure where this one was going to be honest. It is fairly entertaining and the animation is decent but I do not think there is more to it than that. Why doesn't he just clean his feet first?
2/5
