The DTV Digest

Short Shot Ep 16: Fan Films! The Last Ronin, Legend: A Dragonball Tale, Knightmare: Man or Bat, Star Wars: X-Wing

In this fan film special, Mike and Rich take a look at four recent films based on well-known franchises.
 
We start with THE LAST RONIN. At the time of recording, neither of us realised that The Last Ronin is a well-known five issue mini-series, which is why we hadn't mentioned it. Bearing that in mind, please check out the podcast to hear our thoughts on the short!
Next is LEGEND: A DRAGONBALL TALE, a short which perfectly replicas the animation style of the original series. Check it out by clicking the link!
KNIGHTMARE: MAN OR BAT is the final part of a trilogy, which brings to the fore a couple of elements of Batman lore which have so far been overlooked by any of the live-action versions. Plus its loaded with blink-and-you'll miss 'em easter eggs.
Finally we have STAR WARS: X WING - a film which truly highlights how accessible quality special effects work is becoming and gives us a seriously rollicking space battle. Strap in, coz things are going to get 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!
 

Episode 210: Burial, Hellbender, Root Letter, Death Pursuit, Jurassic Valley, The Red Book Ritual, Atratus, Bloodsucking Bastards

In this overstuffed episode Mike, Rich and Steve tackle six new releases...
We kick off with BURIAL, a film which really surprised me, although its premier at Frightfest may need to be taken with a grain of salt...
HELLBENDER is the latest film from Shudder to be given a DVD release, and is about a teenage girl whose mother is a witch...
ROOT LETTER is an independent mystery movie in which a young man tries to find out what happened to a pen-friend after she sends him a disturbing letter...
DEATH PURSUIT (aka Bullet Proof) is the directorial debut of James Clayton - a name to look out for in future!
JURASSIC VALLEY is a low-budget British film involving dinosaurs on the loose after WW3...
THE RED BOOK RITUAL is an anthology film with some choice stories but a weak wraparound...
 
Our Short Shot is ATRATUS, in which a young woman is beseiged by people trying to obtain a secret...click the link to catch the whole 17min film!
 
and our DTV Throwback is BLOODSUCKING BASTARDS, starring Cabin in the Woods' Fran Kranz! You can find this horror comedy on PLEX!
 
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 209: Samaritan, Incantation, Crow, E11 Standard Issue, Night in Paradise

In this episode Mike, Rich and Steve take a look at some films which have hit the streaming services of late...
 
Starting with SAMARITAN, a superhero film starring Sylvester Stallone, and one which gave me a strong sense of de je vu!
Next is the Taiwanese horror film, INCANTATION. This tries to walk a fine line between found footage and conventional narrative, but is it successful? Tune in to find out!
Next is CROW, a fan-made feature film based on the James O'Barr comic-book. The original feature starring Brandon Lee has proved to be a very difficult act to follow - perhaps this may be more successful at adapting the ideas and character?
Our Short Shot is E11 STANDARD ISSUES - this is a Star Wars fan film in which a stormtrooper makes an "unboxing" video for his new weapon. Click the link to watch the whole short!
Out DTV Throwback is NIGHT IN PARADISE, a Korean gangster movie which is juuuuust a little grim. You have been warned!
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 208: Bunker 717, Terror on the Prairie, The Stranger In Our Bed, The Day After Halloween, The Shack, Luc Van Tien

This week Mike, Rich and Steve take a look at four new DTV releases. As usual, click the link to watch the trailer!
Starting with French horror movie BUNKER 717 - set in the 80's, it follows three students who delve into Paris's catacombs and discover a horrific remnant of the second world war.
TERROR ON THE PRAIRIE has courted controversy as it is a film starring Gina Carano and produced by right wing news agency, The Daily Wire. But is the film itself any good? Tune in to find out!
THE STRANGER IN OUR BED is a sophisticated thriller in which a woman tries to investigate the disappearance of her lover, under the gaze of her controlling husband. This one piqued our interest as its directed by Giles Anderson, who had previously made The Dare. Tune in to find out to find out what we make of this one!
Our cover film this week is THE DAY AFTER HALLOWEEN, which is an indie comedy about 2 friends who discover a dead body after a particularly raucous party. Tune in to find out whether we were tickled by this!
Our Short Shot is THE SHACK, in which a family look after an age-old secret out in the woods Click the link to watch the whole film.
Our DTV Throwback is LUC VAN TIEN, a Vietnamese martial arts fantasy movie in which an ancient warrior is transported to present day to find his reincarnated bride. This stars the excellent Andy Long, as well as the awesome Martial Club trio. The film can be found on Plex - click the link to 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 207: Black Site, Day Shift, East of the Mountains, The Captive, Special Delivery, The Legend of Pipi, Black Site

In this episode, Mike and Rich bookend the show with two films with the same title!
 
We kick off with BLACK SITE, a film we'd been looking forward to seeing ever since the buzz from its US release. Does it stand up to expectations?
Next is DAY SHIFT, the feature directorial debut of renowned fight choreographer, J J Perry, and stars Jamie Foxx as a blue-collar vampire hunter. This film is a Netflix original, which have been a bit hit-and-miss, so how does this stand up?
EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS finds Tom Skerrit and his dog un against the elements...
THE CAPTIVE finds a trafficking survivor re-tormented by her original captor,
SPECIAL DELIVERY is a Korean action movie which are usually right up my alley but after being burned by Carter in the last episode, will this renew my faith in the genre?
Our Short Shot is the excellent animated film, THE LEGEND OF PIPI - click on the link for some great dark humour!
Finally, our DTV Throwback is another film called BLACK SITE - this one is a British film, directed by Tom Paton. This is available on the ROKU channel, or to rent from other streaming services.
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 206: Prey, Carter, The Last Son, King Knight, The Voices, Scooty, Reigo

In our latest episode we kick off with the biggest film of the week, PREY, the new Predator movie in which the alien hunter sets his sights on a Comanche tribe. (Prey is currently available on Hulu or Disney+),
Meanwhile, over on Netflix there's CARTER, a hyperkinetic action movie about a Korean agent with no past memories. Take a listen to here our thoughts on it!
I have to fly solo on the next review, as i was the only person to have managed to watch the new western, THE LAST SON - take a listen to hear my opinions!
KING KNIGHT is the lasted pairing of actor Matthew Gray Gubler and Richard  Bates Jr, and there are some very divided opinions on the panel!
THE VOICES (aka The Free Fall) is a new horror film co-starring Shawn Ashmore and directed by Adam Stilwell, who made one of my personal fave fakumentaries The Triangle.
Our Short Shot is SCOOTY - click the link for the whole 15 mins, you won't regret it!
Finally our DTV Throwback is REIGO, THE DEEP-SEA MONSTER vs. THE BATTLESHIP YAMATO, a low budget attempt at making a Kaiju movie without a monster suit!
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 205 - Hot Seat,. Charles, Bring Him Back Dead, Graphic Design, Life After, Hellbinders

This week Mike, Rich and Steve tackle three new features and a new fan film...
Kicking with HOT SEAT, in which Kevin Dillon is stuck on his chair by a mad bomber, while Mel Gibson has the unenviable task of trying to rescue him...
CHARLES is a not-for-profit fan film which gives an alternative take on how Chucky came to be....click the link to watch the whole 1-hour feature!
BRING HIM BACK DEAD finds Gary Daniels in a lead role up against Louis Mandylor in a plot which proves to be painfully familiar...
GRAPHIC DESIGN is a British erotic thriller which provides a lot of graphic couplings but in today's age, is this kind of thing redundant? Funny enough there doesn't seem to be a trailer for this film at the moment!
Our Short Shot is LIFE AFTER - this 30 min short does have a small cost ($2) but we feel it's worth checking out, so please click the link!
Finally, our DTV Throwback is HELLBINDERS, starring Ray Park and Johnny Yong Bosch, in a comic-book style film from before the MCU showed how its done. You can find this film free to watch (with ads) on PLEX.
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 204: The Reef: Stalked, 18 1/2, Executive Order, Crook$, TC2000

In this episode Mike, Rich and Steve take a look at three new releases...
 
We kick off with the latest Shark Peril movie, THE REEF: STALKED, which features four young women being stalked by a killer shark when they go on a kayaking holiday.
Next is the political thriller 18 1/2. Set during the height of the Watergate scandal, this finds a young Whitehouse clerk in deep water when she discovers a tape of the infamous "missing 18 1/2 minutes" of President Nixon's recordings.
EXECUTIVE ORDER is another political thriller, this time from Brazil and deals with an abhorrent situation and in today's political climate proves not to be as satirical and absurd as it might have hoped.
 
Our Short Shot is CROOK$, in which two inept women attempt to hold up a convenience store and run into a complication. Click the link to watch this excellent short!
Our DTV Throwback is TC2000, a futuristic action movie which stars Billy Blanks, Matthias Hues and Bolo Yeung!
 
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 203: Clean, Corrective Measures, Fortress: Snipers Eye, Rubikon, The Pond, The Princess, Baby Fever, Marked Man

In this episode Mike, Rich and Steve take a look at six recent releases:
Starting with CLEAN, starring Adrien Brody as a garbage man trying to atone for a violent past...
CORRECTIVE MEASURES is the first of two films this week starring Bruce Willis - this one had a few surprises in store!
FORTRESS: SNIPERS EYE is a sequel hot on the heels of its predecessor and again stars Jesse Metcalfe, Chad Michael Murray and Bruce Willis...
RUBIKON is an Austrian sci-fi thriller where the crew of a space station must battle with some huge decisions....
...Serbian film THE POND is heavy on existential atmosphere...
...and THE PRINCESS, which can be viewed either on Hulu (US) or Disney+ (UK), allows Furie director Le-Van Kiet to deliver a kick-ass fairytale!
Our Short Shot is BABY FEVER from the wonderful Monstrous Femme, directed by Hannah May Cumming. This film is still on the competition/festival circuit so cannot be shared at the moment, but click on the link for more info.
Finally our DTV Throwback is MARKED MAN, starring "Rowdy" Roddy Piper as a convict forced to escape when he witnesses guards kill a fellow in-mate! This is currently 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 202 - The Modern Way, When Darkness Falls, Martyrs Lane, Gatlopp: Hell of a Game, Gabriel, Ambulancen

In this episode, Mike and Rich tackle a bit of a mixed bag which nevertheless contains at least one gem!
We kick off with THE MODERN WAY, an anthem for the 80's when Mods and Rockers had resurrected thanks to  the likes of Quadrophenia being a cult VHS hit...
Next is WHEN DARKNESS FALLS,a brit horror written by one of our old colleagues, Tom Jolliffe! However our friendship won't stop us from giving the film an honest going over!
MARTYRS LANE is the latest SHUDDER film to be released by Acorn films. I'm on record for saying that I'd gladly sling in any of their curated films without any fore-knowledge, given their success to date. Will I be eating my words?
Finally there is GATLOPP: HELL OF  A GAME. Dismiss this film at your peril. Check out our thoughts on it in the episode!
 
Our Short Shot is the French horror/action/thriller, GABRIEL, in which a troubled boy becomes a cop only to find himself battling inner demons. Click the link to watch the whole film.
Did you know that Michael Bay's Ambulance is actually a remake? This week's DTV Throwback is the Danish original, AMBULANCEN, in which two armed robbers are forced to steal an ambulance in order to escape their botched bank job! This can be currently found on Netflix!
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!