Episode 303: Wake Up Dead Man, Troll 2, Nightfall, End of Year Round-up

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone! This is our final episode of 2025 and we've managed to get not only Rich back on, alongside Mike, Steve and Amanda, but also Nathan Lunn, who had previously joined us for our 300th episode!
Unfortunately, however, the DTV market tends to dry up during the month of December so instead we have turned our attention to two highly anticipated films on Netflix - as usual, click the link to see a trailer for each film!
We kick off with WAKE UP DEAD MAN (Netflix), the third "Knives Out" film and probably one of THE most anticipated films of the year, in which Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc to solve a locked room murder mystery!
Next is TROLL 2 (Netflix), Roar Uthaug's sequel to the well-received Norse Kaiju movie!
Our Short Shot is NIGHTFALL - click the link to see the whole short film, and you may wish to check out their previous dino-flick, THE HATCHLING!
Instead of a Throwback this week, we end the show with a round-table looking at our favourite Top Five DTV titles of the year - take a listen and see if you agree!
Follow the Short Shots  on X where you will find hundreds of links to awesome short films!
Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on X and FACEBOOK!
We are also now on Bluesky! Follow us here: @thedtvdigest.bsky.social and @dtvshortshots.bsky.social
 
 

Episode 302 - Dracula, Quarantine 19, The Final Party, He Kills At Night, Manor of Darkness, The Perfect Gamble, Can You Hear Me, Hostages, Long Shadows, Coyotes, Misfire, Riot

In this episode Mike, Steve and Amanda cover no less than 10 new releases! As usual, click the link to see a trailer for each film!
We kick off with Luc Besson's version of DRACULA (Signature Entertainment), which bears more than a likeness to Coppola's version!
Next up is QUARANTINE 19 (Trinity Content Partners), a Turkish film shot in English about the contestants of a Big Brother-style reality show finding themselves isolated during a pandemic.
THE FINAL PARTY (Trinity Content Partners) is a nasty, nihilistic film about rich kids gatecrashing a party...
HE KILLS AT NIGHT (4Digital Media) finds a woman fighting for survival when she is abducted by a serial killer on Christmas Eve!
MANOR OF DARKNESS (Indie Rights) is an extended version of one of director Blake Ridder's many short films, about a group of pretend filmmakers stuck in a creepy manor house!
PERFECT GAMBLE (High Fliers Films) finds David Arquette running an underground casino and trying to keep the Russian mafia from taking over!
CAN YOU HEAR ME? (High Fliers Films) is a WW1 set love story with supernatural overtones!
HOSTAGES (Signature Entertainment) finds a group of social media addicts caught up in a possible terrorist attack.
LONG SHADOWS (4Digital Media) is a western in which a young man searches for those who murdered his mother and left him for dead as a child.
COYOTES (Signature Entertainment) finds yuppies Justin Long and Kate Bosworth trapped with their teen daughter when a pack of ferocious coyotes lays siege to their home. 
Our Short Shot is MISFIRE, directed by Jean-Paul Ly! Click the link to see the whole 15 min film!
Our DTV Throwback is RIOT, in which cop Matthew Reese gets himself thrown into the same prison where the man who killed his wife is hiding. You can find this on Amazon Prime as well as other streaming Services!
Follow the Short Shots  on X where you will find hundreds of links to awesome short films!
Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on X and FACEBOOK!
We are also now on Bluesky! Follow us here: @thedtvdigest.bsky.social and @dtvshortshots.bsky.social
 
 
 

Episode 287: Havoc, Black Cab, Ape x Mecha Ape New World Order, Cold Road, Everyone is Going to Die, Gates of Flesh, Gladiators, Mob Cops, Rumplestiltskin, American Samurai

After a prolonged break, we're back! And, to make up for lost time, Mike Rich and Steve are covering NINE new releases as well as our usual Short Shot and DTV Throwback. Click the links on each to see the trailer and more!
We kick off with the biggest film, HAVOC - Gareth Evans' long awaited feature following his series Gangs of London. After being so long in gestation, can it live up to the anticipation?
Next is BLACK CAB (Acorn Media International), in which Nick Frost terrorises a young couple held captive in the back of his taxi.
APE x MECHA APE: NEW WORLD ORDER is an Asylum "mockbuster", riding the coat-tails of the bigger Legendary franchise - but does it hold its own?
EVERYONE IS GOING TO DIE (High Fliers Films) is yet another take on the home invasion trope, with a couple of twists to the genre - but are they enough to make this stand out from the pack?
GATES OF FLESH (4 Digital Media) is a low budget end of the world movie in which a group of friends hide out in a church as people are being possessed by demons outside....
GLADIATORS (High Fliers Films) is another Asylum mockbuster - but again, one which might be entertaining in its own right?
MOB COPS (High Fliers Films)- although the title suggests a Simpsons parody this is a tale of corrupt cops getting in deep with the mafia, and the honest cop on their tail.
RUMPLESTILTSKIN (Miracle Media) is an adult re-telling of the fairytale - but exactly who is its audience mean to be?
 
Our Short Shot is THE MISERABLE MISFORTUNES OF MY MARVELOUS MASTER, a love letter to the likes of Stephen Chow! Click the link to watch the whole short film!
 
Our DTV Throwback is AMERICAN SAMURAI - this is a "director's cut" of the film and is available to watch for free on YouTube - click the link to see the whole film!
Follow the Short Shots  on X (formerly Twitter) where you will find hundreds of links to awesome short films!
Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on X and FACEBOOK!
We are also now on Bluesky! Follow us here: @thedtvdigest.bsky.social and @dtvshortshots.bsky.social
 

Episode 285: Fight Or Flight, Escape From the 21st Century, Die Alone, Bangkok Dog, Applewood, The Survivors, Puppet Master III

This week Steve is off on holiday so its left to Mike and Rich to tackle five new releases - as always, click the link to see the trailer for each:
We kick off with FIGHT OR FLIGHT (Sky), starring Josh Hartnett as a former agent brought back to find a hacker, and then must protect them from wave after wave of assassins!
Next is ESCAPE FROM THE 21st CENTURY (Signature Entertainment) - a mind-melting visual experience in which three teen friends find they can jump forward into their adult bodies, 20 years in the future!
DIE ALONE (Lightbulb Film Distribution) is a post-apocalyptic thriller in which a man with amnesia tries to search for his missing girlfriend...
BANGKOK DOG (High Fliers) is another pairing of D.Y. Sao and Brian Le, who appeared together in Shadow Master. This is a more conventional martial arts thriller and proof that these guys are top of their game.
APPLEWOOD sticks out from the pack as the only non-action movie of the week: This is a more low key, supernatural tale about a  recently widowed woman buying a notorious mansion and needing to get to grips with its dramatic history.
 
Our Short Shot is from the Kirby Brothers (k & K Productions), who helmed the excellent Accident Man 2: Hitman's Holiday, and some other shorts we've enjoyed. Check out THE SURVIVORS - a zombie chase movie!
Our DTV Throwback is PUPPET MASTER III: TOULON'S REVENGE, which can be found on Amazon Prime - as well as the other Puppet Master films!
Follow the Short Shots  on X (formerly Twitter) where you will find hundreds of links to awesome short films!
Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on X and FACEBOOK!
We are also now on Bluesky! Follow us here: @thedtvdigest.bsky.social and @dtvshortshots.bsky.social
 
 

Episode 272: Poolman, Deadland, The Last Breath, Jade, Axel F, The Baku, Reptilian

In this episode Mike, Rich and Steve  tackle five main releases - as usual, click the link to check out the trailers for each film!We kick off with POOLMAN (Signature Entertainment), starring, directed by and co-written by Chris Pine. Check out our review to find out if its worth a watch!
Set on the US/Mexican border, DEADLAND (Lightbulb Film Distribution) follows a conflicted Border Patrol officer dealing with a mysterious dead body and the sudden appearance of his estranged father.
THE LAST BREATH (Signature Entertainment) is the latest entry into the Shark Attack genre, as some old college friends become trapped inside the wreck of WW2 battleship, surrounded by sharks!
Director James Bamford had already  proved himself to be a decent DTV director with Airforce One Down. JADE (101 Films)  doubles down on that, making him a director to look out for and serves up a new action star, Shaina West!
Going straight to Netflix, AXEL F is exactly the nostalgia piece you'd expect. Check out our review to see whether we enjoyed it!
Our Short Shot this week is THE BAKU - click the link to see the whole 30min short. Former Power Ranger Jonny Yong Bosch made the excellent short Ark Exitus a few years back, so we were eagerly anticipating his latest film!
Finally, our DTV Throwback is REPTILIAN, aka Reptile 2001, aka Yongary. This is a Korean produced Kaiju, featuring a giant dinosaur resurrected by invading aliens. You have to dig hard, but it is available on Prime and other locations.
Follow the Short Shots  on X (formerly Twitter) where you will find hundreds of links to awesome short films!
Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on X and FACEBOOK!
 
 
 
 
 

Episode 270: Among the Willows, Sorry, Charlie, You Can't Run Forever, Lackadaisy: Ingenue, Samurai Cop

In this episode Mike, Rich and Steve check out three new releases:
 
AMONG THE WILLOWS (Miracle Media) is a western in which two old guys must put aside their own feud in order to hunt down a gang of killers...
SORRY, CHARLIE (Miracle Media) is another film in which an actor spends most of the running time on her own, talking to people on a phone. Can this film do enough to stand out from the rest? Check out our review!
YOU CAN'T RUN FOREVER (Signature Entertainment) finds the always excellent J K Simmons as a psychotic killer hunting down a traumatised teen...
 
Our Short Shot is LACKADAISY: INGENUE - this is the latest animated short about a gang of bootleggers in the  Prohibition era. We covered a lengthier cartoon featuring these characters back in episode 229 and most certainly recommend you check them out!
Our DTV Throwback is SAMURAI COP - a film which defies expectation. Its been lampooned before (There is a RiffTrax version out there) and friend of the show Rob Hill has recently made a 40 minute documentary on it. Please note that the version we've linked to, on Youtube, is edited for nudity - there are full versions available to rent. We urge you to watch the film, then check out Rob's documentary, HERE.
 
Follow the Short Shots  on X (formerly Twitter) where you will find hundreds of links to awesome short films!
Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on X and FACEBOOK!

Episode 262: Frankenstein: Legacy, The Abyss, The Black Mass, Tropic, V/H/S/85, The Spirit Hunters, Wedlock

In this episode Mike, Rich and Steve tackle five new releases...
 
Starting with FRANKENSTEIN: LEGACY (101 Films) - this starts in familiar territory but heads off to be its own thing - check out what we thought of it!
THE ABYSS (Netflix) is a disaster movie set in the mining town of Kiruna, Sweden....
THE BLACK MASS (Cleopatra Entertainment) is a stylised account of Ted Bundy's killiing spree at a Sorority House....
TROPIC (Blue Finch Film Releasing) involves twins training and competing for a slot on a space mission, when one gets infected with an alien organism...
V/H/S/85 (Acorn Media)- hot on the heels of last episode comes another anthology - how does it compare to '94? Take a listen to our thoughts on it!
 
Our Short Shot is THE SPIRIT HUNTERS, a stylish action film from Finland. Click the link to watch the whole film!
 
Our DTV Throwback is the classic, WEDLOCK, starring Rutger Hauer. This is currently free to view on Youtube, click the link!
 
Follow the Short Shots  on X (formerly Twitter) where you will find hundreds of links to awesome short films!
Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on X and FACEBOOK!

Episode 257: War Blade, Lift, Sheroes, Slotherhouse, The Lumberjack, Wrongfully Accused

In this episode we cover one film going to physical media and three which are available on streaming services - click the links to see the trailers....
We kick off with WAR BLADE  (101 Films), a WW2 thriller set in Occupied France as a team of resistance fighters locate a secret enemy bunker...
Next we cover LIFT (Netflix)- the latest big budget heist movie, spearheaded by Kevin Hart...
SHEROES (Paramount+)- this film about four young women taking on a drug cartel in Thailand drew a very strong reaction from us!
We followed this with SLOTHERHOUSE (Paramount+), in which a sorority senior obtains a three-toed sloth thinking it will help her gain popularity, only to discover its a homicidal monster!
Our Short shot is the Greek horror, THE LUMBERJACK - click the link to watch the whole short film!
and our DTV Throwback is WRONGFULLY ACCUSED, one of the lesser-seen spoof movies starring Leslie Nielsen!
 
Follow the Short Shots  on X (formerly Twitter) where you will find hundreds of links to awesome short films!
Don't forget to also check out our main show, the DTV DIGEST on X and FACEBOOK!

Episode 235: Road Kill, Wrath of Souls, MK ULTRA, Old Man, Oath of Honour, Tremors 2L Aftershocks

In this episode Mike, Rich and Steve tackle four new releases...
 
Starting with ROADKILL (Reel2Reel Films), an Australian thriller in which a petty highway robber crosses paths with a serial killer, with terrifying consequences....
Also from Australia is WRATH OF SOULS (Bulldog Films), in which a young man comes to regret taking a job at the local crematorium when supernatural shenanigans start kicking off...
MK ULTRA (High Fliers Films), stars Anson Mount and is about the CIA's covert experiments with LSD during the 1960s. As we mention in the review, LAST PODCAST ON THE LEFT did a great job of documenting the actual history - check out their ep 482.
Finally, Stephen Lang stars in OLD MAN (Plaion Pictures UK) - a cantankerous loner whose world is intruded upon by a lost hiker...
 
Our Short Shot is OATH OF HONOR - two brothers working as undercover cops clash when they are both involved in a drug bust gone wrong...
 
Finally - our DTV Throwback is TREMORS 2: AFTERSHOCKS. Fred Ward and Michael Gross return for this entertaining sequel.  This is currently streaming on NETFLIX but for a limited time only....
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Episode 229: Ripper’s Revenge, Seoul Vibe, Kuttey, Furies, Lackadaisy, Jarhead 3: The Siege

As we had a light slate this week Mike, Rich and Steve decided to take a look at some recent films added to Netflix. As usual, clicking the links below will take you to a trailer for each film...
But we start with our only physical release of the week, RIPPER'S REVENGE (High Fliers). Director Steve Lawson is a prolific low-budget film-maker and impressed us with RIPPER UNTOLD and his other films have all been entertaining (The Mummy in particular). Will returning to spin a new tale around the Ripper murders be a success? Check out our review to find out!
Set in the lead-up to the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, SEOUL VIBE (Netflix) finds a street-racing gang blackmailed by a well-meaning cop to go undercover as delivery drivers for a notorious loan shark. 
KUTTEY (Netflix) is an Indian film about two corrupt cops who find themselves in hot water after being caught trying to assassinate a rival drug dealer and must come up with a more audacious heist in order to pay off the right people.
FURIES (Netflix) is a Prequel to Furie (In our review I was Adamant this was a sequel in name only, but i stand corrected!) Veronica Ngo takes over as director and proves to be a force to be  reckoned with both in front and behind the camera.
Our Short Shot is LACKADAISY, an animated short about a trio of bootleggers during the prohibition set in New Orleans. Click the link to watch the whole short and please check out the other links on the page.
Our DTV Throwback is JARHEAD 3: The SIEGE (Netflix) - Universal 1440 are experts at delivering DTV Sequels to films which had originally received theatrical releases - such as Sniper, The Scorpion King and Death Race. This is directed by William Kaufman and co-stars Scott Adkins, so i need say no more!
 
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!