The Animal (1976)

Anyone up for experimental arthouse cinema? Director/writer Walter Ungerer was, in 1976, to bring the art world this quite bizarre film in which, well, nothing really much happens. Much is left to the viewer's interpretation, assuming they stay awake long enough!

So yes, it's an existential mystery about a couple who appear to be meeting up at a holiday cabin in a snow-covered isolated location somewhere in New England, America. We join the story on a railway platform where she, Jo, is apparently aimlessly wandering up and down. For quite some time. And then some more time. Then her husband/boyfriend, Paul, turns up in a car and they seem to play some sort of game where he plays at being a stranger picking up a girl.

We eventually get to the cabin. Lots of snow. Falling and covering the ground, deeply. We spend time with the couple as they eat. Sleep. Dress. Undress. Walk. Ski. Argue about his sexist approach to her briefly. Maybe they have gone there to repair something between them? Then a child turns up, lurking outside the cabin. Standing. Staring. Not spookily, but just, well, there! Jo tries to engage the child in conversation. No go. Then there are two. Then gone with an old woman.

Then during a skiing session they get separated and Jo disappears. He hunts for her. We see her approaching a cottage. He gets concerned so calls the police. There's a 'manhunt' where lots of local people join in a search but find nothing. Timescales are not given. This could be hours, days or months! Eventually he gives up, packs his bags to leave, alone, then goes out one more time for a last search and with the suggestion for us that he might actually finally solve the mystery.

Nothing much is explained though. The landscape is gorgeous and the director is clearly making the most of it within this strange little 80-minute film. Perhaps the cold isolation is supposed to reflect the relationship that they are trying to fix? I have no idea what the title is about as there were no animals that I could see - nor any humans behaving like an 'animal'. Commentators seem to report that this is a film about loss, fate and the unknowable. All a bit lost on me, I'm afraid! If you fancy the challenge you can see it on Vimeo just now.

Sony Xperia 5 Mk IV (Revisited in 2025)

I reviewed the Sony Xperia 5 Mk IV in October 2022 and was very positive about the dinky (kinda) flagship from Japan. Since then, a few things of note have happened, which I'll come to - but for now, the question is whether or not it could still be used as a primary phone 3 years later - and what's still great about it, if anything.

We've had all the Mk V (1, 5, 10), Mk VI (1, 10) and Mk VII (1, 10) Xperias since then of course as the years have progressed. Notice anything missing? Yes, you're clearly a genius - the Demise of the Five. They made a Mk V but then that seems to have been the end of it, though traditionally tight-lipped Sony don't actually say so. I suspect that with the 10 Mk VII specs being somewhat upped this year, it doesn't point to Five Alive!

This 5 Mk IV has run out of updates. OS was given a measly two, so Android 14 was the last, and 3 years of Google Security Updates, so until September 2025. I write in September here and the phone has indeed been given quarterly updates for the last 12 months, but I suspect that this is it now. There might be a September update coming this month I guess, but very possibly not - and even if there was, it would certainly be the last.

But most people don't care about that (or even know) and chugging along in the background is the Google-controlled Play System Updates, which keep things pretty safe for way into the future. So no development of, or updates to, Sony apps going forward but everything else should continue until Google pull the plug on Android 14, I guess, which, going by recent comparative behaviour should be at least 10 years. Android 6 (Marshmallow) was released in 2015 and is still supported at time of writing, so on that basis, this Xperia should be good for another 7 years!

The AlbumArt on the Always on Display was stripped away after the Mk IV Xperias (1, 5) which is a great shame - and further, the version on the 1 Mk IV goes to sleep after the first track. So it shows the AlbumArt of the last playing track when the screen timed out and stays there. That makes the 5 Mk IV even more special as it doesn't do this and continues to update as tracks change. No idea what is different between them to have changed this but in my experience here, this is what happened. Anything newer than the Mk IV devices don't get it at all.

And that is also true of the Notification LED. A tiny dot in the top-right, front-facing, which gives notifications of stuff coming in, charging status and so on. It's hard to stress how useful this is, even with a bright Always on Display available too, as it's the glanceability (if that's a word) factor. It catches the eye as it flashes, changes colour or glows - for an instant view of what's come in or how the battery is or whatever. For anyone having not used a phone with this in the past, you don't know what you missed!

So various LED colours then - red for low battery, green if the phone is charged enough, orange if lower but charging, white for most app notifications (though developers were able to assign their own or even use patterns of blinking - so check your apps as they might still do it), blue is for, you guessed it, Bluetooth stuff and there are apps on the Play Store which allow further granular control. It's a hark back to earlier years when most OEMs did this but now, the best you can hope for is, yes, third party, but certainly no physical lamp (that I'm aware of) so all in-screen. So anyway, yes, gone.

The price is now of benefit to buyers of course, though you'd be hard-pushed to find a new one now (and if it had been sitting on a shelf in a stock room, the battery would be knackered by now anyway!), a far-cry, used, from the £949 release price in the UK! I just had a look on CeX in the UK for a used one in good condition and it seems to be about £300 - less on eBay no doubt - so certainly less than a third of that release price, maybe even a quarter.

This was the first 5-series Xperia that got Qi wireless charging and three years on it's still working perfectly well here. We don't get any battery health data here so without deeper diving with various apps/tools/testing, I can't see what that is - but it certainly appears to be working well and not far away from the review data I quoted three years ago. Yes, the 5,000mAh battery in this dinky device (how did they fit it in?!) is still quite superb - my 10% Reading Test still returns a result of over two and half hours and for my average daily use, a day and a half if needed. Your mileage will vary of course, based on how you use your phones.

The dinky physical form is now unique I think. Certainly in its 21:9 ratio. It's very cute - and the 5 Mk V went fatter, so not as nice. It's really slim and pocketable and even for someone not wanting to use it as their main phone, it can be a perfect on/offline MP3 Player (I'll come to that later though). I did recently wonder about the 21:9 and conclude that Sony were wise to switch out to 19.5:9 for the Mk VI model (1) and Mk VII (1, 10) but I'm not so sure with the slim MP3-player sized 5 Mk IV here. It kind of feels just right for purpose as it is. It would be nice to see it in 19.5:9 but I do think it would have less impact (and the 10-series has always been a bit chunkier anyway).

Yes, the boxy aluminium design works nicely with the symmetrical bezels making room for the sensors and speakers and flat, 6.1" 1080 x 2520 (449ppi) screen which remains bright and colourful (and free from scratches with GGVictus) with 101 ways in Sony's software to tweak and adjust it. It's a no-compromise (IP65/8) design which Sony have stuck with over the years with Xperia phones and it somehow just feels right again, even with this tiny phone. The only downside to the small form factor is that it's tiny for typing on the keyboard. Gboard can be adjusted to compensate but eventually you have to stop making it taller (as you can't see the rest of the screen) and there's nothing you can do, obviously, about the width. Tinkering with other keyboards or voice input might help, but for me, I accept that I'll need to put on my glasses and be careful (as I like Gboard).

The two-stage camera shutter button is (I think) still unique to Sony. Others have dabbled with capacitive and so-called smart buttons, but I do not believe anyone has come close to this very camera-centric, two-stage button with focus confirmation on-screen in the Photography Pro (camera) app and more. It's fiendish - and makes it a delight for anyone having used proper cameras. As we know, one can make the most of all the photography-centric apps if paired up with a Sony camera, but I've never used one. Check YouTube for reviews of those who are deeper baked into Sony's ecosystem. The other buttons are lovely too though - still working perfectly as they were on Day One, beautifully crafted, for volume and power/capacitive (instant) fingerprint scanning.

And then there's the 3.5mm audio-out/microphone-in socket (which I am guilty of underusing and favouring Bluetooth) giving high quality audio output via wired headphones. It works perfectly well still, 3 years on, with 24-bit output, the drilled-down full version of Dolby Atmos, 360 Reality Audio, upscaling of music via DSEE Ultimate and so on - for those who want to make use of wired headphones (and not be bugged with Notifications and the Google Assistant)! The SIM Card Tray with fingernail access, seems to have survived my abuse over the three years, in/out as a Serial SIM-Swapper regularly, but no sign of it breaking or wearing out.

The 128GB of storage seems mean by 2025 standards but they have stuck with that in all-but the 1-series (256GB) even with the 10-series on brand new release as I write. They clearly figure that their users are going to be happy with the microSD Card expanded memory option - and maybe they are right, with so much mobile phone use now being cloud-based. Speaking as a data-hoarder it kind of sticks in my throat a bit, but in reality, most of the time I have a good connection and use YouTube Music, streaming. So there's that. Anyway, armed with my 1TB card I'm OK - and anyone wanting more for far-reaching photography/videography storage will likely be on the 1-series anyway.

Because of the really clean version of Android on the phone, I remain, 3 years later, amazed at the processing speed of data driven by SnapDragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm) supported with 8GB RAM. Really snappy. I notice the difference when copying stuff from one place to another or getting the Play Store to install app updates etc. Blazingly fast - and without any resource-hungry AI to be driven, the 8GB RAM is perfectly good still. Yes, the phone flies with any tasks thrown at it, even demanding games (not that I do much of that)!

I hear no degradation in the powerful front-facing proper stereo speakers 3 years on. They remain, as I reported before, loud, bass-orientated enough (for the size of the phone), clear and with good tone. The Dynamic Vibration is something else that nobody does in the same way - and Sony sadly removed it with the Mk V devices (10-series never had it). This also works perfectly 3 years on and the fact that it is now missing from newer devices (other than the 5-series) is yet another great shame. The pulsating of the vibration motor to beats in the music is wonderful to feel/use. So, another tick for this older model. Hooked up to my WH-1000XM4 headphones (now, themselves, two generations old) remains perfectly good. Are we seeing a pattern here?!

I continue to make use of HDMI-Out (DisplayPort) here now and then, though again, with connectivity and latency options so good these days, it's something that needs to be on the 'handy-to-have' list rather than Mission: Critical one in 2025. Plex and Roku changed so much of that for me! All the connectivity stuff works perfectly well still to, so apparently the components were good at the outset and have stood the test of time.

One of the changes Sony made with the 1 Mk VI was to ditch much of the confusing Cinema Pro, Music Pro, Photo Pro and Video Pro cludge for a unified, user-friendly, non-geeky approach to all things camera. And that was a good move because all this stuff is complex on this phone and feels like it's geared up for photography nerds, not Joe Public. It depends on your approach to all things photography I guess but they'll reach a much wider audience by making it not so stuck-up-in-the-clouds. So yes, with the 2022 phone here, one is not going to get a change on that. You can always use a different camera app to keep things simple, I guess. However, it's nice to have a 2.5x zoom on the camera and 3 x 12MP shooters which do the trick with the Zeiss Optics with T* lens coating and all those Program, Shutter Priority and Manual modes. So many dials and buttons to play with for those who want to deep-dive.

I'm not really the 'pro' target audience for this phone as I won't be VLogging, shooting a movie or even recording high quality audio, but with the stuff on offer here generally as a mobile phone (and already in the house here - or cheap to buy now, used) it might be worthy of consideration, abandoned by Sony as it is. Is a later version really needed? I guess a lot of that depends on one's view regarding the later simplified auto-all camera (which, by the way, you don't either get in the 5 Mk V) and software update situation - for those who are not bothered about ongoing Sony support but are trusting Google to keep it secure, it's still worth a look in my view. It still has a good number of now-unique features which Sony have stripped out going forward (and nobody else even did) and it really is lovely in the hand, the pocket, light and dinky (for those with good eyes and nimble fingers for that keyboard)!

It has a load of good aspects going for it including Qi charging, great speakers (and audio all-round), Dynamic Vibration, super battery, a great OLED panel with the best AoD there is - and that LED Notification light. Well worth considering if you fancy a small phone which keeps it simple in many ways, no AI (apart from what Google supply) and still as fast as lightning in pretty much whatever you throw at it. It still works perfectly well in 2025 and is recommended if you can find one used - there's an awful lot of phone here for under £300.

The Last Stop in Yuma County (2023)

This is a film created and delivered by near first-timer Francis Galluppi which is somewhat hard to categorise! A thriller crime comedy I guess. It has a Tarantino stamp all over it in terms of style but lots of Coen Brothers' stuff too - it really is a rip-roaring ride for a solid 90-minutes of entertainment.

It's clearly a fairly low-budget film which is set in one location almost throughout - the dusty, dry landscape of Arizona and particularly one petrol station with attached hotel and cafe. The Americans would call that a truck-stop, motel and diner of course. And do!

We start off with a simple scenario where a petrol tanker has come off the road and is laying on it's side, driver dead, out of sight of anyone passing. The petrol station is waiting for it to arrive and the longer it goes on with no fuel available, the more people turn up, are told that the delivery is due any minute and so wait in the diner until it does (not knowing that it never will)! Nobody has enough fuel to get the next 100 miles to the next petrol station so they're stuck.

On the radio, we're hearing about a bank robbery which has taken place nearby and the criminals are at large, having fled. First up on the scene at the diner is a premium knife salesman on his way to see his daughter. He's told to wait by the guy running the petrol station, so does. Next up is the waitress opening up the diner being dropped off by her husband, the Sheriff. Waitress and knife salesman start to natter. 

Then come the criminals en route to Mexico! They're told the same story and have no option to wait. They do so in the same manner, quietly at first, bag of money in the boot of their car, until they see waitress making a phone call. They then leap into action, threatening waitress and knife salesman to keep quiet and they'll live - to carry on as normal until the petrol lorry arrives.

So now the tension is high between those who know who is who - they try to keep a lid on it as other people arrive facing the same wait. An older couple come in. Even the Sheriff's Deputy rocks up to get some coffee. The air is thick with stress as everyone's on edge and not wanting the robbers to start shooting anyone.

Then we get a young Bonnie and Clyde type couple - think the Honey Bunny pair in Pulp Fiction! They work out what's going on and who is who - and as they are hard up for money, try to plot a way to turn the situation so they can cash in financially. So to rob the robbers! The more people pour into the scene, the more complex it gets, until the gasket is blown and we have the showdown, about two thirds of the way through. And I'll say no more on the plot so as not to spoil the happenings and outcomes for everyone, but expect mayhem and violence (well, otherwise there wouldn't have been much of a story here now, would there)!

The two coppers are actually very funny in their interactions with each other, likewise the guy running the petrol station, initially the old couple and even one of the robbers - a bit young and not very bright, being guided by his older 'brother' (partner in crime). The whole cast do a great job - I don't really know most of them but at least one or two have popped up in Tarantino films. Jim Cummings plays the knife salesman, Faizon Love the petrol station guy, Jocelin Donahue (Doctor Sleep, the waitress, Gene Jones (The Hateful Eight, No Country for Old Men) the old man and so on. I'm sure some will know these actors better than me.

It's a great little thriller which keeps you on your toes until the final scene (in fact there's a comic audio turn during the credits too) and well worth tracking down. It's been a long-time coming but can now be seen on various streaming services here in the UK.

Woken (2023)

Written and directed by Alan Friel in his first feature film, Woken's biggest strength is the pacing of the unfolding of the mystery and what's going on! I hadn't really worked it out until three-quarters of the way through and the viewer is kept on their toes as they try to unravel the story!

It starts with a pregnant young Anna, jumping off a cliff to what one could only imagine to be her certain death. However, we then join her again as she's in a bed with a bandage on her head and no memory. No memory of anything. Not the cliff-jumping incident, who she is, where she is from, where she is or who the people around her are.

The people around her are her husband, James, and a friendly, caring lady called Helen. They are lavishing her with sympathy for her situation and try to help her come to terms with the fact that she can't remember anything. They help her with photo albums and incidents from the past, but there's really no helping her as she just can't get there. So she grows to relax and trust the pair of them and accept that the man must be her husband.

They are in a cottage, in the middle of an island, isolated and alone, separated from the world. It doesn't take long for us to find out the first fact about the situation - that there's been some kind of virus and they are on the island in order to keep out of the way of it. However, Anna starts to get suspicious of the actions of Helen and, particularly, James so starts to push the boundaries trying to discover for herself what is going on.

This is where the strength lies, as I said, because we see what she sees to a large extent. We discover stuff as she does. We do get a little more insight than her, but not really with any great reveals - so yes, we're living the trauma and anxiety with Anna - and that works really well as a strategy for the unfolding of the tale. Now, later on it does get a little daft, frankly, when the reveals arrive and it's all very far-fetched, but that really doesn't matter because by then, we've soaked up the process. So that's all I'll say!

Erin Kellyman (28 Years Later, Blitz) plays Anna beautifully well, Maxine Peake (Dinner Ladies, Shameless, The Theory of Everything) is not far behind her as Helen, Ivanno Jeremiah (Humans, Black Mirror) is husband James, Corrado Invernizzi (Le Mans '66, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), Peter, husband of Helen (who we don't see much of) and Peter McDonald (The Batman, The Dig) plays the Doctor attending to Anna in her pregnancy. It's a bit of a Brit Pack of actors from TV and film and I think that the production company is from Ireland.

It's nicely shot with claustrophobic interiors and lavish land/seascapes on display throughout. Careful use of interesting close-ups and focus are employed which often works well, adding to the anxiety, stress and growing paranoia within our main character, Anna. It's an enjoyable ride. Forget about the last 20 minutes and you will still have felt it had been worth the bus fare. I liked it. The only way I could find to watch this was via Dailymotion by the way. Presumably it'll come to mainline streaming eventually.

Love Life (2022)

Director Kôji Fukada presents a beautifully layered drama that begins with a deceptive sense of domestic tranquility before descending into a powerful exploration of grief, love and the silent complexities that exist within families.

The film introduces us to Taeko, her husband Jiro, and her young son Keita, who live a simple, happy life in a modest Japanese apartment. Through these ideals there's a fragility lurking, suggested by the recentness of their marriage and the quiet resentment of Jiro’s parents. The grandparents, while loving toward Keita, are unable to fully accept him as a true part of their family as he was not from their son - a tension that Jiro’s father struggles to conceal.

This peace is shattered by a devastating tragedy that shifts the film's entire tone. The incident forces the characters to confront their deepest emotions, revealing hidden sides of their personalities and challenging their relationships in profound ways.

Taeko, in particular, is forced to re-engage with her past when her ex-husband and Keita’s biological father, the unhearing and non-verbal Paku, reappears after a long absence. A bond is reformed between them as Taeko, the only one who knows sign language, comes to his aid. This act of compassion further strains her relationship with Jiro, who feels sidelined and helpless. The friction builds as Taeko’s focus shifts towards caring for Paku, causing resentment to flow freely between the couple.

The emotional complexity is further heightened by Jiro’s own actions. While helping his parents move, he reconnects with a former girlfriend he had once abandoned, adding yet another layer of betrayal and unresolved history to the tale. It’s a beautifully constructed and often heartbreaking portrait of modern family life, where personal histories collide and past decisions haunt the present.

A central strength of the film lies in its portrayal of grief and isolation, as well as guarded communication. Yes, Japanese culture is on display here - the politeness and reserved nature of the people which are particularly relevant to the story. The characters, especially in the face of a tragic event, often bottle up their feelings and create a sense of quiet desperation. This cultural context provides a powerful backdrop for the emotional distance that grows between Taeko and Jiro.

Fumino Kimura's performance as Taeko is excellent. Her ability to convey profound emotion through the most subtle gestures and expressions is what makes the film so genuine and moving. The heartbreak feels well-earned and realistic, ensuring that the story never feels soppy or shallow. It's a solid drama that captivates with its quiet intensity and leaves a lasting impression. Streaming on BFIPlayer via Amazon Prime and AppleTV+ in the UK at time of writing.

The Birds II: Land's End (1994)

The only way I could find to watch this was via the Internet Archive (apparently it comes around sometimes on Tubi and Mubi). But probably not worth the bother! It's a made-for-TV film from 1994 which is fairly poorly acted, scripted, presented, shot, produced, directed and imagined. Feels a bit like they were trying to do a Jaws with birds because of the seaside setting thrown in!

Tippi Hedren is roped in for a few scenes as a link to The Birds (1963) and apart from that, the highlight of the cast seems to be James Naughton, playing a budding photographer (who'd rather photographically document what's going on with the invasion of the birds than live)! He's the chappie who was in some of those Planets of the Apes TV spin-offs in the 70s - oh and Ally McBeal's dad later on! Brad Johnson plays the lead - again, pretty badly, and the kids aren't much better, adding to the real feel of a made-for-TV outing. Their family dog does a good turn!

Anyway, the story is about a family of four who go to stay in a house (detached, middle of nowhere, by the beach) so that he can write a book (or something) for the summer. His wife gets a temporary job with the aforementioned budding photographer (who also instantly has the hots for her) and yes, much like the story of Hitchcock's The Birds and Birdemic, a load of birds start terrorising everyone for no apparent reason on Amity, er, Gull Island! The quality is pitched somewhere between those two other films, but much further towards the latter than the masterwork!

Most of the camerawork is gulls in flight at close quarters, flapping around madly, so few long-shots like we saw, laughably, in Birdemic! Most of the 'special effects' are centred around people having their eyes pecked out. There's no suspense or tension, start to finish. It's short and sweet and I guess credit should be given for effort - someone having a go - but it does feel like it might have worked better as some sort of comedy-thriller/horror than to take itself seriously, as it seems to do.

Anyway, worth a look for fans of Hitchcock's film and Daphne Du Maurier's story, even if to just see how not to do it!

Memoria (2021)

This pure slice of Tilda Swinton arthouse, brought to us by Apichatpong Weerasethakul has just arrived on Channel 4 (in the UK at time of writing) and for those up for a slow-burn, meditative, quirky, hypnotic two and a quarter hours are in for a treat.

Tilda Swinton stars as Jessica Holland, a Scottish botanist in Bogotá, Colombia, who is suddenly plagued by a mysterious, deep sonic boom that only she can hear. She tries to find out what it was. And wonders if she heard it at all. Or if it was something from another time, place or universe. Or was it just in her head? She consults with a sound engineer who tries to recreate the sound from her description. The next day, he's gone and nobody knew him.

She continues her search which lands her in a remote jungle village where she meets a much older man, who has the same name, Hernán, as the sound engineer. He lives a reclusive life. He reveals that he is an "antenna" for the memories of the Earth, and he has a unique ability to connect with the planet's history and its past inhabitants. You can probably see where this is going - something otherworldly and off-piste!

The finale of the film throws much of what's gone before out the window as the film shifts gear doing a 180 in genre/theme! So I'll say no more. The cinematography is lovely, with long, lingering shots - and the sounds cleverly let us in on what she's hearing and going through. And of course, it's the Tilda Show throughout, showing everyone once again how to act. Well worth a look but be warned - it's often a head-scratcher (at least until the final act)!

Wednesday, Season 2 (2025) - A Guest Review by Chad Dixon

Wednesday is back for season 2 on Netflix. She's been spending the long Summer recess writing a novel that she's keeping close to her chest. Also, by studying the family heirloom, Goody Book of Shadows, much to the disapproval of her mother Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), our dark heroine has been honing her skills of seeing the future and as a side hustle is also an amateur crime sleuth. Her powers helping her catch a doll collecting serial killer (played with a brilliant cameo by Haley Joel Osment, "I See Dead People!").

Episodes 1-4

Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) is back at Nevermore Academy. Totally irked by all the attention she's getting from saving the school last semester, she's not quite as chummy with her ever upbeat lycanthrope roomie, Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers), Wednesday is also on a downer because her younger brother Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez) is joining her at the Academy and her parents are also staying close as they've been asked by the new Principal Barry Dort (Steve Buscemi) to get more involved in fundraising for the school of Outcast students.

On the second evening of the new term there is a special bonfire event at which Wednesday is meant to be student guest of honour but she basically ruins the proceedings by giving a less than gracious speech. As they leave the event, Enid is annoyed about Wednesday's general attitude and in a bid to confront her, grabs a shoulder. Instantly black tears appear and Addams goes into convulsions. It's a premonition that Sinclair has died at the hands of a mysterious hooded figure. Later, when she's revived, she vows that the cloaked assassin has to be found and stopped.

The extended Addams Family take a much bigger role in this series, including Uncle Fester (Fred Armisen) who pops in Ep 4. You get more of a feeling of the overall family dynamics at play as Wednesday is constantly rebelling against her mother. Meanwhile, Morticia is trying to mend a rift with her own mom, Hester Frump (Joanna Lumley). Gomez (Luis Guzmán) is generally trying to keep the peace and Pugsley is getting into his own trouble - as while investigating an old legend, finds a brainless zombie with a clockwork heart (that he names Slurp) buried in the woods. Finally Thing, the dismembered right hand and loyal family servant is constantly alert and ready to help in any crisis.

There are handful of new student characters introduced this time and are worked nicely into the story. They play key roles in Ep 3 when just about the entire academy go to camp for team building only be confronted by a couple of dozen well-drilled scouts and their Marine Corps like scout leader that are determined to take over the camp for themselves. Thandiwe Newton as Dr Rachael Fairburn is the last major new character of note as she plays the chief psychiatrist at Willow Hill Psychiatric Facility (a location that appears throughout the series but looms large in Ep4).

This season has a different feel to the first where Jenna was in just about every scene and did so much eye acting. She has a lot more dialogue now and the ensemble cast get significant stuff to do. It feels more thought-out as the dynamics between the students, faculty and those outside the academy play out. I binged all four episodes in one afternoon but only found out after it's shocking end scene that they're splitting the season with a short break and the concluding 4 episodes are only dropping in the first week of September. (There's a trailer for those final episodes right at the end). It's just like that twisted Tim Burton to keep us hanging!

Episodes 5-8

There are no crucial spoilers in the following! There's a wonderfully gothic climax of which the creators of Hammer House of Horror would be proud. There was so much plot crammed into these final four episodes, with very little exposition needed. Each scene moves on the various story arcs swiftly with superb performances all-round as every major character have crucial parts to play. There's even an excellently-cast Miss Havisham-like cameo from Lady Gaga!

Jenna Ortega continues as our darkly dramatic lead after scraping through the events in episode 4 by the skin of her teeth. I was happy that all members of the Addams Family get their moments in the spotlight as I felt the heavyweights of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán, as her parents, were definitely wasted in Season One. There's a lot more reference back to when they were young students at Nevermore Academy and how their interactions with those other older characters are shaping the events of now.

The sets are definitely more lavish this season and that comes to a peak during a Venetian style masked gala on a crucial night that involves just about everyone. The quirky abilities of the various 'Outcast' characters are beautifully interwoven into the ramped-up edge of your seat action. Along the way, some of the other big cast names meet their demise in entertainingly epic ways and some even bring an uncharacteristically sly grin to the usual mono expressive face of our heroine.

There's a great teaser to Season Three in the epilogue which I can't wait to see! If you were waiting for Episodes 5-8 to drop before seeing the whole series than I think you can look forward to a brilliantly spooky binge watch! Grab that bucket of your favourite popcorn and I guarantee that you won't be able to take your eyes off the screen. All in all, a super 'well done' to Tim Burton and everyone involved in bringing us this absolutely excellent second season!

Tunnel (2016)

I watched this tonight - the whole film is available on YouTube at time of writing. It's a Korean film about a collapsed tunnel. We follow the story of the chappie who gets trapped in his car as he unluckily happens to be mid-way through when it happens. We stay with him throughout but also with the rescue team above, trying to save him and the politicians trying to be pragmatic. 

The three leads are excellent - him (Ha Jung-woo: Hijack 1971, Ashfall, The Handmaiden), his wife (Bae Doona: Cloud Atlas, Air Doll) and the head of the rescue operation (Oh Dal-su: Oldboy, I'm a Cyborg). It's a very moving, suspenseful survival (or not) type drama which should have most on the edge of their seats a lot of the time. Well shot and atmospheric, particularly with the claustrophobic scenes as he tries to hang on. Recommended.

It's not a true story but it is based on a 2013 novel of the same name by So Jae-won. It draws comparisons to the tragic 2014 MV Sewol ferry sinking in South Korea. The film's themes of government incompetence, media sensationalism and a flawed public safety system resonated with the public pain and criticism that followed the real-life disaster. The director, Kim Seong-hun, acknowledged that while the film was based on a pre-existing novel, it was impossible to not think of the Sewol tragedy when creating a story about a disaster and the societal response to it. (Gemma)

Weapons (2025) - A Guest Review by Chad Dixon

Trailed since early Spring this year and much anticipated from the same director and writer of the highly plaudited horror film Barbarian (2022), which I haven't seen yet, Zach Cregger now brings to the cinema another Horror/Thriller. Penning the story as well, he freely admits it was written in the aftermath of the sudden death of a very close friend as a way to process his grief and emotions.

Set in the fictional small town of Maybrook, Pennsylvania, we join the story a couple of months after the mysterious disappearance of an entire class of Elementary School children. At 2:17am, they all just got out of bed and ran out of their houses into the night. In many cases, their exit captured on doorbell cams. Just one student arrived at teacher, Justine Gandy (Julia Garner)'s class the following morning and up to this point, the local police are still completely stumped!

The first chapter is titled 'Julia' and begins a couple of months later when she reluctantly takes the podium at a consolation meeting for the faculty and parents in the school hall, hosted by Principal Marcus Miller (Benedict Wong). Halfway through her unconvincing, empathetic speech, a man in the audience pipes up "Why isn't she being questioned?" He stands up. "She must know something about our kids?" The frustrated man is Father, Archer Graff (Josh Brolin), and his outburst begins a cacophony of further accusations from those gathered. Miller swiftly intervenes and the meeting ends abruptly with Gandy being ushered outside by security to her car between a handful of clamouring parents.

A troubled individual, Gandy heads directly to the local liquor store to get a couple of bottles of vodka to drown her sorrows at home. Later that night, while deep into her umpteenth glass, the doorbell rings. She looks between the blinds and sees no-one. Returning to her solace, then someone hammers on the front door. "Who is it?" She cries. "What do you want? She goes outside. Still nobody but then she sees the word "WITCH" scrawled in thick red paint on the side of her coupe.

We are then shown the same few days after that school meeting from a number of distinct chapters - seen from the points of view of some of the major players. 'Archer', 'Miller' and a few others - including moustached local cop, Paul Morgan (Alden Ehrenreich), who seems to be an old flame of Justine's and now seems to be her only confidant. As these chapters unfold, the tension in the town ramps up until we finally see Alex's story. The only child not to have gone missing from Gandy's class that day.

There's lots to keep one's attention here. From the curious premise, the spooky town that seems virtually empty most of the time, the atmospheric camera work - and the intense performances showing every character to be flawed in one way or another. A good choice of cast, especially a totally unrecognisable Amy Madigan as Gladys Lilly, Alex's quirky Aunt, who dramatically arrives in the second half of the 2 hour 8 minute runtime. Without giving away any kind of spoilers, I must reiterate that this film definitely deserves its given 18 certificate as when the truth is revealed as to where the children have gone, it kicks the visuals and intensity into overdrive!

I do think this is a well crafted thriller and no doubt many studios will be knocking on the door of Mr Cregger to deliver further content of this genre to the big screen. Horror is normally not my sort of cinema-going fare, however I did find this quirky story engaging and quite watchable. Even if it was from behind my fingers at times!

PodHubUK Podcasts for the Month of August 2025

...a roundup of our month of podcasting. Links to the team, communities and podcast homes on the net at the foot, so scroll down!

Tech Addicts 2025

Season 4, Episode 1 - Think of the Children!

Sunday 3rd August

We're back! Hope you missed us and enjoy this opener in which Gareth flies off big-time about that unscientific, untechy Peter Kyle and his bombastic attempts at gathering our data! Plenty of time left for more from us though, including Linux stuff, Bazzite, Lutris, Ulefone, slim phones, C64 Mini and Voyager 1 - as we prepare for the year 71,500!

The Phones Show Chat Podcast

Episode 865 - Retirement, Rehoming, Rebirth!

Sunday 3rd August

Steve and I are looking back at our PSC shows and experiences (with anecdotes tossed in) since the beginning in 2009. We natter lots about that as Steve steps down for a well-earned rest in (semi, kind of) retirement! He'll still be around for sure doing other bits - and you can see what the plans for PSC are in my other post which has been lurking here now for a few days. Anyway, do tune in and by listening, feel a part of thanking Steve for his huge contribution to all of our tech lives and wishing him (and the new-look PSC) well.

Projector Room

Episode 191 - Maniac Holocaust
Wednesday 6th August

It's just Gareth and I this time as Allan is no doubt wolfing down ice cream on a beach on some sunny offshore island! With an adjusted content we take our First Steps with the Fantastic Four whilst hounded by a Dogman, we Shoot to Kill a trio of Maniacs on the loose in Hell House, then face Armageddon in the Night of the Creeps and Cannibals! A bumper edition of Coming Soon gems is on offer too, so do join us!

The Phones Show Chat Podcast

Episode 866 - Introductions and Teasers!

Monday 11th August

Joe and I recorded a 'mark in the sand' 10-minute pod so that we could get the rss feed going and registered with the directories ahead of 'launch' during the first week of September. The website is also now live you can always grab links and stuff there.

Tech Addicts 2025
Season 4, Episode 2 - Decant a Rant

Sunday 10th August

Gareth and I reunite for another show. This week, more on the UK Online Safety Act that Gareth lost his shit about last week(!), I look at the Nothing Phone 3 debacle, iKKO's new device, Google finishing fiddling with Steam on Chromebooks, a stolen load of Galaxy Z Fold 7s - and PixelSnap be's a thing! Plus loads more, as always.

Whatever Works

Episode 230 - Over Balmy, Over Barmy!
Monday 11th August
Aidan and I are back again to strain your eardrums as we run through a bunch of twaddle loosely badged 'Whatever Works'! This time it's Soft Sitters, Air Purifiers, Assorted Nails, Bongo Bike Charging and even Water Butts. Which we need in this heat! Ice creams at the ready then - plunge in!

The Camera Creations Podcast (at Whatever Works)

Episode 4 - Bridges

Thursday 14th August

Joe Hickey, Chris Clayton, Ian Bundey and I are back with another fortnightly roundup of all things camera and photography. This time we focus on bridges, dive into some news with heavy, big, fast lenses, look at drones from DJI and there's even time for me to Drone on about my perfect camera wishlist! Available from the Whatever Works website and feed in your podcatchers (as Camera Creations doesn't have a home yet).

Tech Addicts 2025
Season 4, Episode 3 - A Monopolistic Perplexity

Sunday 17th August

Gareth and I swelter as we chat about Perplexity AI eyeing-up Google Chrome, Microsoft court action over Windows 10, a battery issue with the GPD Win 5, the new Insta360 8k drone, Linux Mint Zara beta, FydeOS, VPNs vs Proxies, Honor Magic V Flip 2 and more. How could you miss it!

Projector Room

Episode 192 - Alien Zombie Shrouds
Wednesday 20th August

It's just Gareth and I this time and we present a Flop of the Fortnight Special: The 5 Lowest Rated Movies on IMDb! Just for a change while we await Allan's return for some order (and someone knowledgeable for Gareth to talk to)! Plenty more besides though as we have another bumper-packed Coming Soon and oodles in The Main Feature. It's a dark theme with plenty of Zombies, Shrouds, Oddities and Alien Amateurs! So hold onto your hats.

Tech Addicts 2025
Season 4, Episode 4 - A Plucky Pixel Perspective

Sunday 24th August

Gareth and I unpack the latest tech buzz again. Is Valve's "Fremont" console the future of gaming? The ROG Ally impresses as a solid portable Xbox experience. Plus, Ted showcases an innovative AI-powered tablet with a projector, Made by Google Pixel stuff and the Dex which teaches kids a new language.

The Camera Creations Podcast

Episode 5 - Post Processing

Thursday 27th August

Joe, Chris C, Ian Bundey, Chris K and I are back again with an hour of musings on all things cameras and photography. This time Chris C and Ian lead a deep-dive into using various tools to manipulate images after they've been taken, from a sample shared last week. Lots of news and rumours too - to make us twitch about bank balances!

Tech Addicts 2025
Season 4, Episode 5 - A Galaxy of Honor

Sunday 31st August

Gareth and I look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra specs, a couple of new devices from Honor, Motorola & Lenovo’s Massive IFA Leak, Marshall's jumbo-sized speaker, the soundcore Work portable AI voice recorder and a new Google TV box from… Acer! Gareth also picks up a BOSGAME E2 Mini and loads more as always! Don't forget that this is the last one for Season 4 but we'll be back with Season 5, every Sunday in October.

The Podcasts (PodHubUK)

Phones Show Chat - Whatever Works - Chewing Gum for the Ears - Projector Room - Tech Addicts - Camera Creations

The MeWe Community Groups (follow the links to join up)
Phones Show Chat - Whatever Works - Chewing Gum for the Ears - Projector Room - PSC Photos - PSC Videos - PSC Classifieds - PSC Health - Coffee Time - Camera Creations - Tech Addicts

The Team
Ted Salmon - Steve Litchfield - Aidan Bell - Gareth Myles - Allan Gildea - Joe Hickey - Chris Clayton - Ian Bundey - Chris Kelly