Episode 193 - Spirit Walker, Broadcast Signal Intrusion, The Darker The Lake, Fortress, Salvajes, The Ice Forest

This week, Mike and Steve tackle four new releases, starting with the excellent SPIRIT WALKER, a Korean action thriller which never takes its foot of the pedal and demands the audience keeps up with its complex plot!
Speaking of complex plots, next up is BROADCAST SIGNAL INTRUSION, a very compelling mystery surrounding some pirate tv broadcasts!
THE DARKER THE LAKE proves to be both complex and perplexing as it spins a murder mystery set in a small Austrian town!
Finally we have FORTRESS, co-starring Bruce Willis an Jesse Metcalf. Please note that our comments about this film came before the news about Willis retiring for health reasons- having said that, we hardly mention Bruce anyway!
Our Short Shot is SALVAJES - this is some very high grade action, be sure to check it out as well as director Stephen Renney's other shorts!
Finally our DTV Throwback is THE ICE FOREST, an Italian film which resembles a Nordic Noir - but can it pull it off?
 
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Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on TWITTER and FACEBOOK!
 

Episode 190: The Ledge, The Misfits, Restless, Jester Must Die, Deep Freeze

This week Mike, Rich and Steve start our 190th episode (!) by reviewing THE LEDGE, the latest film from Howard J Ford (The Dead, Don't Let Go). This sees a young climber having to scale a mountain with minimal equipment to escape some killers...
Next is THE MISFITS, starring Pierce Brosnan as a thief recruited by some "Robin Hood" types to pull off a daring heist. This is currently available on Amazon Prime!
Over on Netflix, we cover the recent French thriller, RESTLESS, which sees a corrupt cop having what could possibly be the worst day of his life! This is a remake of a Korean thriller called A Hard Day, which can itself be rented via Amazon (and other streaming sites). 
Our Short Shot is JESTER MUST DIE in which a bodyguard helps the daughter of his boss escape from his clutches. This is directed by Michael Lehr, one of the best fight choreographers out there. Check the link to watch the whole 16min short but do check out his other work too!
Finally we take a look at DEEP FREEZE in our DTV Throwback - a team of post-grad students arrive at a deep mining platform in the Antarctic only to discover something has awoken deep under the ice.
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Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on TWITTER and FACEBOOK!
 
 

Episode 188: Demigod, Exorcist Vengeance, Death Block 13, Night Hunt, Into The Sun

In this episode Mike, Rich and Steve take a look at three new releases, starting with DEMIGOD, a German production which sees a young couple travel back to the Black Forest to the wife's childhood home, only to discover supernatural shenanigans!
Then we have two films which star Robert Bronzi, a Hungarian actor who has built a career out of the fact that he bears an uncanny resemblance to Charles Bronson! First up is EXORCIST VENGEANCE, in which he plays a priest who carries a bible in one hand and a gun in the other!
Next, Bronzi stars as a man wrongly convicted and sent to DEATH BLOCK 13, an old prison from which he must escape. 
 
Our Short Shot is NIGHT HUNT, which compares favourably to Brotherhood of the Wolf. Please check out this link and support the film, as we really want to see the next chapter!
 
Finally in our DTV Throwback we have Anthony Michael Hall (not Michael C Hall as i mistakenly announce!) and Michael Pare in INTO THE SUN, which is a nice mash-up of The Hard Way and Top Gun! This is available on the IMDB movie channel, which is free but contains ad breaks.
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Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on TWITTER and FACEBOOK!
 

Episode 187: Black Friday, Help, The Accursed, Bushwhacker Blues, Armour of God 2: Operation Condor

(NOTE: Many thanks to those who got in touch and alert us that this episode hadn't uploaded properly - It's now been re-uploaded and the full episode is now available!)
In this episode Mike and Rich take a look at the new comedy-horror, BLACK FRIDAY, co-starring Bruce Campbell and Michael Jai White!
Next is the much-anticipated first feature from director Black Ridder, HELP, which he made with a limited crew during lockdown.
And then there is THE ACCURSED, in which Yancy Butler stars as a witch trying to out-run a curse.
Our Short Shot is BUSHWHACKER BLUES, from the director behind the Batman fan-film, 1986. Click the link to watch the whole film, and check out some of Eighties Doubt Productions' other films while you're there!
And we wind up with Jackie Chan in our DTV Throwback, both starring in and directing ARMOUR OF GOD 2: OPERATION CONDOR! Amazon Prime subscriber can access the 88 Films print!
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 185: Werewolf Castle, Shadow In The Cloud, Confession, Dennis, Post Mortem

In this episode Mike, Rich and Steve check out the latest film from Charlie Steeds, WEREWOLF CASTLE, his most ambitious film to date!
Following this we check out Chloe Grace Moretz in SHADOW IN THE CLOUD, where she is trapped on board a WW2 bomber with a gremlin!
Stephen Moyer impressed us recently in Krays: Code of Silence, now he's starring opposite Colm Meaney in CONFESSION!
Our Short Shot is DENNIS, the unlikeliest henchman you're ever likely to meet! Click the link to watch the whole short!
Finally, our DTV Throwback is a real strange entity...Charlie Sheen (credited as Charles Sheen) stars in an Albert Pyun (Cyborg, Nemesis) film, where he plays an ex homicide detective...in Scotland. Take a listen to what we thought of POST MORTEM which can be found on Amazon Prime! (NB: the only trailers I could find are either in Spanish or German, where the film was renamed Serial Killer).
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Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on TWITTER and FACEBOOK

Episode 183 - Jakob’s Wife, Silencio, The Protege, The Serpent, Fuelled, Savaged

In this episode Mike, Rich and Steve take a look at a whole bunch of films with female protagonists, most of who are called a variation of Anna!
First up is JAKOB'S WIFE, starring Barbara Crampton as Anne, whose life is turned upside down when she is attacked by a vampire.
Next is SILENCIO, in which a woman called Ana must locate a mysterious stone in order to save her kidnapped son.
In THE PROTEGE, Maggie Q stars as Anna, a highly skilled assassin tracking down the killers of her mentor/father figure. (Available on Amazon Prime)
Gia Skova spoils the fun as her character in THE SERPENT is called Lucinda. (Also available on Amazon Prime).
Our Short Shot is FUELLED, an animated short featuring cute animals, but packs a bitter punch! Click the link to watch the whole 9min film.
Finally, our DTV Throwback is SAVAGED, in which a deaf-mute woman is raped and murdered, then possessed by the spirit of an apache warrior to wreak revenge! (Available on Amazon 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 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.
 
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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!