Episode 182 - Krays: Code of Silence, The Jack In The Box: Awakening, Jekyll and Hyde, Winterskin, Monsters in the Closet, Streetfighter: Psychosis, The Stranger

Welcome to the first episode to be released in 2022, which we recorded in the dying days of '21!
We kick off the new year with KRAYS: CODE OF SILENCE, and I don't mind saying that this period police procedural took us all by surprise. What a film to start 2022 with!
Next is another pleasant surprise - THE JACK IN THE BOX: AWAKENING is a sequel to the 2019 film and this time the box has been procured by someone who is aware of its powers!
We were all impressed with director Steve Lawson's previous film, Ripper Untold. Now he's back with another indie period drama with hints of horror - will JEKYLL AND HYDE have a similar success?
Speaking of directors we like, I was very happy to see Charlie Steeds' name appear at the start of WINTERSKIN. We've covered his work before and will be reviewing his latest in the near future. This is from 2018 but only just getting a UK release.
Finally we have MONSTERS IN THE CLOSET, an anthology film in which a pulp horror writer's creations start to come to life!
Our Short Shot is STREETFIGHTER: PSYCHOSIS, a fan film in which Ryu is abducted by Shadaloo Agents!  Click the link to watch the whole 13min film!
And our DTV Throwback is THE STRANGER - martial artist Kathy Long stars as the titular mysterious character who turns up in a town overrun by a violent biker gang (available on Prime, but also on YOUTUBE).
Follow the Short Shots TWITTER page, where we will be linking to a short film every day! 
Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on TWITTER and FACEBOOK!
 

Episode 181 - End of Year Review 2021

Before we embark on a new year of films which didn't make it to the cinema but instead found their way to dvd, blu ray and streaming media, lets take a moment and reflect on what a year 2021 was.
 
In this episode Mike, Rich and Steve (and a cameo from Will) talk about their top 10 short films from the year, followed by our worst 5 and top 10 features. All films discussed have been covered on previous episodes.
 
Follow the Short Shots TWITTER page, where we will be linking to a short film every day! 
Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on TWITTER and FACEBOOK!

Episode 180: Castle Falls, Achoura, Portal Runner, The Darkness of the Road, Wrath of Man, The Hunt: Savage Within, Fifty Fifty

This episode features two of out semi-regular contributors, Will Bentley and Sean Malloy who we will definitely be hearing more of in 2022!
First up then is CASTLE FALLS, directed by Dolph Lundgren who also co-stars alongside Scott Adkins.
Next is our first Moroccan film, ACHOURA, a horror film which blends a narrative between adults and their past as children in a way which gives Stephen King a run for his money!
We follow this with PORTAL RUNNER, a low budget sci fi which slightly divided opinion between Steve and myself!
THE DARKNESS OF THE ROAD features Najarra Townsend (The Stylist) and actually managed to make me appreciate its moment of in-media res! 
Finally we review WRATH OF MAN in which Guy Ritchie directs Jason Statham in a clever and gritty thriller. This film has gone straight to Amazon Prime in the UK so was fair game for us to review!
Our Short Shot is THE HUNT: SAVAGE WITHIN  in which a Spec Ops team hunt an alien in the jungle, and manages to avoid comparisons to Predator!
Finally Finally, our DTV Throwback is FIFTY-FIFTY, a classic action comedy starring Peter Weller and Robert Hayes (Airplane) and peculiarly directed by character actor Charles Martin Smith (The Untouchables). This is currently available on Amazon Prime - check out the trailer, the voice-over makes it sound like Home Alone!
Follow the Short Shots TWITTER page, where we will be linking to a short film every day! 
Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on TWITTER and FACEBOOK!
 

Episode 174: Warning, We Need to Do Something, Bigfoot Hunters, Kingdom of Ashes, Here to Stay, The Last Survivors

In this episode Mike, Rich and Steve tackle four very different new releases!
We start with the most prestigious  of them with WARNING, which features Thomas Jane, Alex Pettifer and among its cast. 
Next up is WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING, a tense horror thriller set almost entirely within one setting.
BIGFOOT HUNTERS is a very humorous mockumentary which sees a couple of film-makers working for an online news network are sent to do a piece on Bigfoot, much to their chagrin!
Finally there is KINGDOM OF ASHES, a Spanish production shot in English.
 
Our Short Shot this week is HERE TO STAY, a very creepy tale with some great sound design - i recommend watching with headphones!
And finally our DTV Throwback is THE LAST SURVIVORS (available on Prime).
Follow the Short Shots TWITTER page, where we will be linking to a short film every day! 
Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on TWITTER and FACEBOOK!

Episode 173 - Whitetail, Potter‘s Ground, The Ghosts of Borley Rectory, Yellow Belt Fury, Tiger House

This week we have three new features to review. Mike and Steve kick off with WHITETAIL, about a family trying to bond after a tragedy by shooting a deer, only to find something more sinister out in the woods!
Next is POTTERS GROUND - I was initially nervous about tackling another low budget film set during the American Civil War, but this one surprised me!
Mike and Will then take a look at THE GHOSTS OF BORLEY RECTORY, the second film to be set in Borley by prolific director Steven M Smith. His previous film ended up hanging around the DVD top 100 chart for months - time will tell if this does as well!
Our Short Shot is YELLOWBELT FURY in which a woman starts taking karate lessons to wreak vengeance on the aliens who killed her husband!
Finally our DTV  Throwback is TIGER HOUSE, a British home-invasion style movie starring Dougray Scott and Ed Skrein.
Follow the Short Shots TWITTER page, where we will be linking to a short film every day! 
Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on TWITTER and FACEBOOK!
 

Episode 172 - Death Ranch, The Survivalist, Night Drive, The Time Travelling Sheriff, Fanboys

For this episode Mike, Rich, Steve and Will were joined by special guest, Leo from GEEK LEGION OF DOOM  to help review the latest batch of films.
We kick off with DEATH RANCH, the latest film from indie film-maker Charlie Steeds, who is fast becoming a favourite of mine and a name to take note of! Be warned, that trailer is extra splattery!
Next up is THE SURVIVALIST. The director, Jon Keeyes, didn't impress us much with his previous film Rogue Hostage - perhaps he does better here with the likes of Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Julian Sands!
Then there's NIGHT DRIVE, in which a "ride share driver" picks up a mysterious passenger and shenanigans unfold! This is a film none of us had heard of prior to this week - take a listen to hear what we thought!
Rich then joins us to discuss the latest Short Shot - THE TIME TRAVELLING SHERIFF by youtuber Zach King - definitely check out this short and also anything else by this man, he's literally magic!
Our DTV Throwback is FANBOYS, in which Star Wars fans try to break into Lucas's ranch to steal a copy of The Phantom Menace. The whole idea seems so stupid in retrospect, doesn't it? Take a listen to hear what we think of this....film.
Follow the Short Shots TWITTER page, where we will be linking to a short film every day! 
Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on TWITTER and FACEBOOK!
 

Episode 171 - The East, The Inheritance, Dementer, The Last Exorcist, Deadlock, Open Graves

In this episode Mike, Will, Rich and Steve take a look at an eclectic bunch of films...
Starting with THE EAST, a Netherlands film set in Indonesia just after WW2. Next up is THE INHERITANCE, a US film set in The Ukraine and bears certain similarities to Agony, starring Asia Argento which we covered Episode 159!
Will and Mike then take a look at DEMENTER, a film I really wanted to see as it was by the director of Jugface (which we covered in Episode 105!
Then Mike and Steve check out THE LAST EXORCIST and we have some....choice things to say about this one!
 
Our Short Shot this week is DEADLOCK, which takes the concept of Ghostbusters, ditches the humour and adds a more real-world take.
Finally, our DTV Throwback is OPEN GRAVES, a 2009 horror which was a US/Spain co-production and features Eliza Dushku!
Follow the Short Shots TWITTER page, where we will be linking to a short film every day! 
Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on TWITTER and FACEBOOK!

Episode 169 - FSFF Special: The Paper Tigers, Notorious Nick, Yakuza Princess, Fight to Win, Shootfighter, Interview with FSFF Programmer Will Blaik

This episode is being released in the leadup to this year's Fighting Spirit Film Festival (FSFF), being held on the 11th and 12th of September at the Stratford Picture House. As a tribute to the festival, which is now in its sixth year, this episode is all about Martial Arts, starting with THE PAPER TIGERS which is getting its UK premier at the festival.
Then we have NOTORIOUS NICK, based on the life of Nick Newall, who fought his way to a MMA Championship despite being born with just one arm!
After this its off to São Paulo in Brazil, which apparently has the largest number of  Japanese residents outside of Japan itself. This is where the dark, brooding action thriller YAKUZA PRINCESS is set!
Coincidentally, our Short Shot is also set in São Paulo - FIGHT TO WIN finds a young man's antibodies try to defend him against the Coronavirus! Click the link to watch the whole 5min short.
For the DTV Throwback we have a classic - SHOOTFIGHTER stars Bolo Yeung, as well as Cobra Kai alumni Martin Kove and William Zabka! This is available on Amazon Prime so if you are a subscriber, check it out!
Finally we finish the episode with a very interesting chat with Will Blaik, one of the programmers for this year's Fighting Spirit Film Festival!
Follow the Short Shots TWITTER page, where we will be linking to a short film every day! 
Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on TWITTER and FACEBOOK!

Episode 168: The Last Job, Wired Shut, Override, Mute, Thick As Thieves

This week Mike and Rich shoulder on without their colleague Steve (who will be back for the next recording!)...
First up is THE LAST JOB, a crime thriller starring Richard Dreyfus as a retired gangster and Mira Sorvino as his police detective daughter. Take a listen to find out whether we were onboard or not.
Then there is WIRED SHUT, in which a reclusive novelist recovering from reconstructive surgery is visited by his estranged and bitter daughter just in time for both of them to be terrorised by an uninvited guest.
OVERRIDE sees Luke Goss living an idyllic life with his a beautiful android partner....or is he?....or is she?? 
Our Short Shot is MUTE - we didn't quite see eye-to-eye on this one...see if you agree with either Rich or me by clicking the link to watch the whole film!
Finally our DTV Throwback is THICK AS THIEVES - not the one starring Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, this stars Alec Baldwin as a professional thief who ends up in a battle of wills with local gangster Michael Jai White! This is available on Amazon Prime (and unlike the trailer is in widescreen) so go check it out!
Follow the Short Shots TWITTER page, where we will be linking to a short film every day! 
Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on TWITTER and FACEBOOK!

Episode 167 - Jason Rising, Bloodthirsty, A New World Order, A Feral World, Battlefield 2025, Deed of Death, Black Market Brawl, Cold Moon

In another stuffed-to-the-gills episode Mike, Rich and Steve tackle a whole bunch of horror, sci-fi and martial arts madness!
We kick off with a new Friday 13th fan film, JASON RISING - not the first nor the last Friday 13th fan film we're covering this year! This is almost an hour long and fits neatly into the series' timeline. Click the link to watch the whole film!
2021 seems to be the Year of the Werewolf, as our next film BLOODTHIRSTY is the fourth lycanthopic tale to come out this year!
Next we have three sci-fi movies: A NEW WORLD ORDER sees a young couple trying to evade the robotic overlords who have taken over. This leans very heavily into the concepts in A Quiet Place. Next is A FERAL WORLD which plays like a post-apocalyptic version of Oliver Twist! Then we have BATTLEFIELD 2025 in which a group of strangers' lives intercross on the eve of an alien invasion.
Our final new feature is DEED OF DEATH, a Malaysian film which I incorrectly identify as Indonesian in the episode! This film wins the award for most hated character on the planet!
Our Short Shot is BLACK MARKET BRAWL. If you enjoyed the short Bad Hit, we think you will like this too. Click the link to see the whole 10 minute short!
Our DTV Throwback is COLD MOON, starring Josh Stuart and cameoing Christopher  Lloyd. It has a bit of a rocky start but is definitely worth sticking with as it gets all kinds of crazy!
Follow the Short Shots TWITTER page, where we will be linking to a short film every day! 
Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on TWITTER and FACEBOOK!