The DTV Digest

Episode 293: Red Sonja, The Last Ritual, Inside, Meanwhile On Earth, The Hermit, Stalkers, Sweet Revenge, Body Count

In this episode, Mike and Steve tackle six new films - as usual, click the links to see the trailer for each!
We kick off with the highest profile film of the week, RED SONJA (Signature Entertainment), in which Revenge's Matilda Lutz plays the titular hero while MJ Bassett (Solomon Kane, Strike Back) directs. Did we enjoy it? Take a listen to find out!
THE LAST RITUAL (Miracle Media) is a Nepalese police procedural, following a young female detective battling misogyny and a tragic past while trying to solve the disappearance of a reknowned film director.
INSIDE (Icon Film Distribution) is a prison movie from Australia, starring Guy Pearce...
MEANWHILE ON EARTH (Blue Finch Releasing) is a French sci-fi movie about a young woman contacted by aliens promising to bring her lost-in-space brother home if she helps them...
THE HERMIT (High Fliers) stars Lou Ferrigno (tv's The Incredible Hulk) as a cannibalistic pig farmer who just wants to be left alone...(NB - no trailer seems to exist for this one!)
STALKERS (4Digital Media) has a protagonist with the unique profession of ex pornstar, now looking to connect with her daughter, who she'd been forced to give up for adoption as a baby - but someone is out to kill her...
 
Our Short Shot is JASON UNIVERSE: SWEET REVENGE, an Official short film about Jason Vorhees coming back to dispatch another group of teens - but this time with a twist!  Click the link to watch the whole 15min short!
Our DTV Throwback is BODY COUNT from 1986. This slasher is directed by Ruggero Deodato, most famous for Cannibal Holocaust and boasts a decent cast of character actors in the background. You can find a copy on Amazon Prime, as well as other streaming platforms.
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 292: Tin Soldier, 40 Acres, Saint Clare, Osiris, Futra Days, The Activated Man, The Banished, Reputation, Charlie Foxtrot, Sword of Heaven

In this episode Mike, Rich and Steve tackle 8 new releases - as usual, click the link to see a trailer for each film.
We kick off with TIN SOLDIER (Signature Entertainment), which finds Scott Eastwood as an ex cult member recruited by a shadow ops team to re-enter his former home, a compound run by an ex army General. (NB: this is now available to stream on Amazon Prime).
40 ACRES (Vertigo Releasing) is one of 2 contenders this week for a top 10 spot - a post apocalyptic tale of a family defending their farm from marauding cannibals!
SAINT CLARE (101 Films) is my 2nd contender. Bella Thorn stars as Clare Bleeker, a high school student chosen by God to rid her town of sex traffickers.
OSIRIS (Signature Entertainment) is the latest from action auteur William Kaufman, and concerns a Special Forces unit abducted by alien warriors!
FUTRA DAYS (Reel 2 Reel Films) is about a man who travels 3 years into the future to try and fix his relationship with his girlfriend.
THE ACTIVATED MAN (High Fliers) is one of Tony Todd's last films, and he gets a decent chunk of screentime here, helping a man defend against a malevolent spirit.
THE BANISHED (Blue Finch Film Releasing) is an Australian horror set in the outback, where a young woman finds herself lost and injured while searching for her brother.
REPUTATION (Miracle Media) shares a theme with last episode's Salvable, as a young drug dealer has to confront the toxic relationship he has with his old friend, just released from prison and making waves for all concerned.
Our Short Shot is CHARLIE FOXTROT, a proof-of-concept film about two constables who find themselves in a deadly confrontation on a farm. Click the link to see the whole short film!
Our DTV Throwback is something of a find, and credit to friend of the show RamonWrites for bringing it to our attention! SWORD OF HEAVEN is destined to be a cult classic. We watched a low-res version on YouTube - click the link for the whole film and enjoy its craziness!
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 291: Salvable, The Unholy Trinity, Night Terror, Monsters of California, Child Machine, Angel of the Warrior, The Cellar, Frankie Freako, Leprechaun Vengeance, Strength and Honour

In this episode Mike, Rich and Steve cover 8 new releases - as usual, click the links to see the trailer for each film!
We start and end with a boxing movie, kicking off with SALVABLE (Vertical), in which boxer Toby Kebbel tries to reconnect with his daughter (good) & shady old pal Shia LaBeouf (bad!)
Up next is the western, THE UNHOLY TRINITY (Signature Entertainment) where the arrival of a young man bent on revenge stirs up a whole town's worth of trouble!
NIGHT TERROR (aka Eye for an Eye) (Signature Entertainment) sees a young woman sent to live with her blind grandmother in Florida, only to discover dark secrets and deadly curses...
MONSTERS OF CALIFORNIA (Plaion Pictures) finds a group of teens in over their heads with monsters, aliens, missing parents and military secrets!
CHILD MACHINE (aka Lapsmasin) (4Digital Media) is an Estonian film where a young girl becomes trapped in a bunker with tech start-ups and a new AI...
ANGEL OF THE WARRIOR (hewes pictures) is an ultra low budget, independent action thriller from new film-maker Alexandre Legrange...
THE CELLAR (Red Owl Films) is where a young ex-addict called Abigail finds herself, and must use her courage and instincts to escape!
FRANKIE FREAKO (Lightbulb Film Distribution) is a freakish imp who brings anarchy and chaos to stuck-up yuppie Conor's life when he calls a special party line.
Our Short Shot is LEPRECHAUN: REVENGE, a fan film which provides an update on one of the surviving characters. Click the link to see the whole short film!
Our DTV Throwback this week is a homage to the late Michael Madsen. in STRENGTH AND HONOUR he plays an ex-boxer who gets back in the game to try and raise money for his son's life-saving operation. Madsen is playing an Irish character but however good or bad his accent is, it's completely overshadowed by the performance of Vinnie Jones! You can find a copy of the film on YouTube.
 
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 290: Rust, Final Recovery, 24 Hours to D-Day, Last Resort, Gods Soldier, A Woman Scorned, Shark Warning, Logan The Wolf, The Devil Conspiracy

In this episode Mike, Rich and Steve tackle seven new releases; as usual, click the links to see the trailers for each film!
We kick off with RUST (Signature Entertainment) - a film which carries a lot of baggage due to the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, but is it any good regardless? Check out our review to get our opinion!
FINAL RECOVERY (Buffalo 8) deals with the cyclical nature of drug addiction and rehabilitation; when a habitual addict tries to finally break free of his demons he finds unexpected obstacles in his way!
24 HOURS TO D-DAY (High Fliers Films) is an Asylum WW2 production and there's not much to add to that!
Both LAST RESORT and GOD'S SOLDIER (both Miracle Media) are both directed by Jean-Marc Mineo and set in Thailand - check out our reviews to hear our thoughts!
A WOMAN SCORNED (High Fliers Films) finds two women being terrorised by a group of men in rural Ireland!
SHARK WARNING (High Fliers Films) is our second Asylum film of the week, involving a man returning to his home town 20 years after the death of his brother due to a shark attack...and guess who else has come back!
 
Our short shot is the excellent fan film LOGAN THE WOLF, a re-imagining of the character, setting him in Viking times. Click the link to see the whole film, and while you're there check out some of director Godefroy Ryckewaert's other shorts!
Finally, our DTV Throwback is the wonderfully crazy but on a decent budget, THE DEVIL CONSPIRACY. Click the link to find an official free version of the film on YouTube!
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 289: Consecration, High Rollers, Amongst The Wolves, Its Name Was Mormo, Bogieville, Rust Road, The Prosecutor, Fireworks, Grizzly II

After a short break, we are back with EIGHT main reviews! As usual, click the links to see the trailers!
First up is CONSECRATION (Vertigo Releasing), a supernatural mystery set on a rural Scottish island, directed by Christopher Smith (Black Death).
HIGH ROLLERS (101 Films) is a sequel to the John Travolta led heist movie, Cash Out!
AMONGST THE WOLVES (Vertigo Releasing) sees a homeless ex-soldier at odds with a drug dealing gang!
ITS NAME WAS MORMO (High Fliers) is a found footage film set in Greece, where a family is besieged by a demon in their home.
BOGIEVILLE (Reel to Reel Films) finds a couple unwittingly staying at a trailer park for vampires!
RUST ROAD (4Digital Media) is set in South Africa and finds two brothers at odds with each other over a bag of stolen money.
THE PROSECUTOR (Signature Entertainment) sees Donnie Yen fighting the court system as well as street thugs.
 
Our Short shot is FIREWORKS, a tense drama set in a MI6 control room during a secret operation. Click the link to watch the whole 15min film!
Our DTV Throwback is GRIZZLY II: REVENGE! This film was left unfinished after principle photography back in the 1980s but has recently been completed, after a fashion!
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 288: Fear Below, It Feeds, The North Witch, First Shift, Heretics, Beneath London, Jason Goes to Hell

In this episode Mike, Rich and Steve tackle five new DTV releases - as usual, click the links to watch the trailer for each film!
We kick off with FEAR BELOW (Signature Entertainment) - a period thriller from Australia, where a team of divers have to salvage a submerged truck under the watchful eye of a bull shark!
Next is IT FEEDS (Signature Entertainment), in which a teenage girl and her psychic mother must help a young girl who is being drained by a demon!
THE NORTH WITCH (High Fliers Films) attempts to recreate The Blair Witch films as a conventional production rather than a Found Footage movie...
FIRST SHIFT (Plaion Pictures) marks the return of director Uwe Boll, and deals with a lone wolf cop being forced to take on a newly promoted partner...
HERETICS (High Fliers Films) is Asylum's second foray into the Found Footage format and sees some partying teens wind up in a haunted house, only to be picked off by a group of robed figures...
 
Our Short Shot is BENEATH LONDON, a documentary about Alien War, a theme-park ride set up in the heart of London back in the mid-90's. Click the link to see the whole 23 minute film!
Finally, in light of Arrow Video releasing the 4K remaster, we take a look at JASON GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY, which sees Jason Voorhees lose his corporeal body and move from host to host to continue his violent rampage!
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 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 286: Long Gone Heroes, End of the Rope, Like Tears in Rain, Top Floor, Alien Life Blood, Don't Turn Out The Lights, Catalyst, The Thaw, Godzilla vs Biollante

In this episode Mike, Rich and Steve tackle 7 new releases: As usual, click the links to see the trailers for each film!
 
We kick off with LONG GONE HEROES (Signature Entertainment) which sees Frank Grillo as a Special Forces soldier leading a small team to Venezuela to rescue his niece from crime lord Andy Garcia.
END OF THE ROPE (High Flier Films) is a dramatised account of the infamous lynching of Charles Bannon in 1931 North Dakota...
LIKE TEARS IN RAIN (Viaplay) is a documentary about actor Rutger Hauer, using home videos he'd shot himself through his life.
ALIEN LIFEBLOOD (aka Wellwood) (High Flier Films) sees a man capturing an extraterrestrial being and trying to use its blood to save his terminally ill wife....
TOP FLOOR (High Fliers Films) finds a young woman trapped in an elevator, at the mercy of a disembodied voice...
DON'T TURN OUT THE LIGHTS (101 Films) finds a bunch of young friends in a camper van - what could go wrong?
CATALYST (4Digital Media) - finds a bunch of men held prisoner and and must work together to solve the puzzle surrounding their detainment.
 
Our Short Shot is THE THAW - click the link to see the whole short film!
Our DTV Throwback is GODZILLA VS BIOLLANTE. Criterion has recently issued its restored version, but there is a perfectly good, free version in the Internet Archive - click the link to see!
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 284: Project Silence, In Tenebras: Into the Darkness, Trancers Noir, Going Viral, New York Ninja

This week Mike, Rich and Steve tackle three new releases - as usual, click the links to see the trailer for each!
We kick off with PROJECT SILENCE (Altitude Film Distribution) - A Korean disaster/action movie where commuters become stranded upon a bridge, and surrounded by genetically engineered military attack dogs!
Next is IN TENEBRAS: INTO THE DARKNESS (Miracle Media), a film which has some great locations in and around Gibraltar, and generated A LOT of discussion between us! Take a listen to hear what we think!
Finally, we take a look at TRANSERS NOIR, a remastered black and white version of the cult classic, starring Tim Thomerson as Jack Deth, sent back to modern day LA to stop a time-travelling criminal mastermind. You can find the whole movie on Youtube by clicking the link!
Our short shot is GOING VIRAL, from the Art School Dropouts team. You can see the whole short by clicking the link.
Our DTV Throwback is NEW YORK NINJA - a film which was shot back in 1984 but never completed. A long running project has meticulously managed to piece together the footage and brought in the likes of Don "The Dragon" Wilson and Cynthia Rothrock to re-dub the dialogue. This is available on Tubi - click the link to see the whole film!