The Veil (2024) - A Guest Review by Adrian Brain

This TV Series, currently on Channel 4 in the UK, is the latest creation from Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, SAS:Rogue Heroes and the forthcoming Bond). It is about a British secret agent, codename Imogen, working on behalf of the French secret service, who is dispatched to verify the identity of a high-level female ISIS operative, Adilah, who may know the details of a large terrorist plot.

Unlike many of Knight’s previous offerings, this isn’t a high-octane thriller with lots of violence, but more of a 'road movie' character-study between the lead actresses, who are absolutely mesmeric. Imogen is played by Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale) and is charismatic as ever.

Adilah, played by Yumna Marwan, who I've not seen before, is easily her match. The interplay between them is fantastic as each misleads the other, whilst also unveiling truths - but what is the truth and what is fabrication?

There is comic relief in the form of incompetent and arrogant French and US Secret Service agents, constantly getting into fisticuffs - and some wonderful scenery on view as the plot moves from Syria to Istanbul, Paris and London. There is some violence (Imogen turns out to be pretty handy with a bollard in her hands) but it isn’t at the level of Peaky Blinders and the like.

This had me thoroughly engrossed in the characters and plot over the six episodes. Yes, it does fall apart in the last episode when Imogen catches up with her past (watch out for that red dress - strikingly self-indulgent) and Knight yet again demonstrates he rarely knows how to elegantly close a story off, so overall, the ride was better than the destination. Not perfect, but well worth a look if you like this sort of slow-burn drama.

PodHubUK Podcasts for the Month of July 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!

The Phones Show Chat Podcast

Episode 861 - Slick Clicks Tricks!

Saturday 5th July

Another of our world-famous two-headers this week as Steve and I unpack all sorts of goodies. The Nothing Phone 3, Jolla japes, Edge and Razr antics with Clicks Keyboard, iPhone battery replacing, Xiaomi 15 Ultra - the one-trick-pony (but what a trick!), adding an assistant on phones for voice-only with oodles more - and Steve even learns what M3E stands for!

Projector Room

Episode 189 - Drag the Net
Wednesday 10th July

Gareth, Allan and I natter about film, cinema and TV as usual. This time we get stuck into Nine Puzzles while Four Mothers pop up 28 Years Later, we slaughter Tales from the Lodge in Sweet Virginia while Rose spends The Longest Day on Everest. Loads more as always, so do join us.

The Phones Show Chat Podcast

Episode 862 - A Galaxy of OPPOrtunities!

Saturday 12th July

Steve and I are duckin' the heat again this time by recording before breakfast(!) to bring you our weekly thoughts on all things phone. We Unpack the new Galaxy devices, x-ray Xperias, talk location tracking and even safety with powerbanks. Steve catches us up on the Surface Duo/Android 16 and iPhone news while I dive into early thoughts on the Oppo Find X8 Pro. Loads more as always, so do join us.

The Camera Creations Podcast (at Whatever Works)

Episode 2 - Pilot 2 of 2

Thursday 17th July

Joe Hickey, Chris Kelly, Ian Bundey and I dip our toes into the water of podcasting about all things camera and photography for a second time. It's still a bit of a getting-to-know-you pod as we chat about what we expect from it, introductions and throw ideas around. It's published on the back of Whatever Works so you'll find it in Podcatchers under that feed (for now).

The Phones Show Chat Podcast

Episode 863 - Find the Duo Open!

Sunday 20th July

Mike Warner joins Steve and I this week and he dives deep into the Xiaomi 15 Ultra with Photography Kit, Surface Duo ROMs and Elder-friendly UIs. Steve explores Doro and KaiOS for the T9 experience and I roundup my coverage of the Oppo Find X8 Pro. Lots more of course, so do join us.

Whatever Works

Episode 229 - Chicory Tip Chips!
Tuesday 22nd July
Aidan and I are here again with a headline (well it should have been) Camp Coffee Taste Test! With an Iced Coffee one thrown in for good measure. Loads more stuff as always to waste an hour of your time as we leap from Ninja HandBrakes to Polymorph Salt of the Earth and oodles in between. Do join us so as to wipe that miserable frown and furrowed brow off your tedious world-shattered faces if nothing else. And bring a beer. For me!

Projector Room

Episode 190 - A 2001 K-PAX Oddity
Wednesday 23rd July

Gareth, Allan and I are here again to catch up on a bunch of stuff happening in film, cinema and TV for your audio delight! We're Dazed and Confused - but not on Speed, grab ourselves a Cliffhanger with Superman, apply a Scanner Darkly to Heads of State and fit loads more in Before Sunrise! So do join us.

The Phones Show Chat Podcast

Episode 864 - Materially Expressive Liquid Glass!

Saturday 26th July

Steve and I welcome Shane Craig back to natter about almost exclusively folding Android phones, as you'd imagine. Samsung, Oppo, OnePlus, Pixel and so on. Steve also highlights the changes in iOS26 for the Apple faithful.

The Camera Creations Podcast (at Whatever Works)

Episode 3 - Phones vs Cameras

Thursday 31st July

Joe Hickey, Chris Clayton, Ian Bundey and I bring you another bunch of thoughts about all things cameras and photography. We pick up some device-release news, chew over thoughts about the way forward for the pod and finish up with a discussion comparing photos shot with cameras vs phones.

The Podcasts

PodHubUK - Phones Show Chat - The Phones Show - 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 & The Phones Show - Whatever Works - Chewing Gum for the Ears - Projector Room - PSC Photos - PSC Videos - PSC Classifieds - Tech Addicts

The Team
Ted Salmon - Steve Litchfield - Aidan Bell - Gareth Myles - Allan Gildea

Avengers: Infinity War (2018) - A Guest Review by Chad Dixon

I saw this for only the second time recently as it played for the first time on UK Terrestrial TV over the last weekend. (Still a shame Marvel's Thor: Ragnarok hasn't been on terrestrial TV yet as it's the direct prequel in the MCU's Infinity Stones saga.) Some may be having Superhero film fatigue and wouldn't look twice at something like this, but while it's available on the BBC's iPlayer for a limited time, I think it's definitely worth another look - as there's a lot here to unpack.

Since the dawn of time, six special stones with their own unique powers were created in the Big Bang and legends say that whomever wields all six could complete any wish with just a snap of their fingers. Following the lore of the Marvel comics, throughout millennia, the Infinity Stones have now found their way to the Milky Way Galaxy. In the previous 18 films, the MCU has been following their journeys as various characters have possessed them individually for periods of time. The Avengers have been part of these journeys and have been aware of what their arch enemy, the mighty Thanos' was planning. With the help of his specially created gauntlet, he is to claim all the Infinity Stones and complete his chosen quest to save this Universe of limited resources by culling half of its entire population of living things.

I think we are virtually at peak MCU here and there's nothing that's been released in the last few years that comes close to how much is packed into this 2 hour 29 minute epic. Just about every Earthbound superhero and all of the Guardians of the Galaxy are involved in this story. The very well choreographed action sequences are nicely paced near the start, containing handfuls of protagonists in a few, around the Galaxy locations. All those threads come together nicely as they build to a final all-out battle scene back on Earth on Wakandan soil.

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, they do a brilliant job of keeping the myriad aspects and threads that make up this gripping story together. The effects are top-notch. With multiple space scenes, spaceships, alien planets and countless CGI and motion-capture characters all seamlessly intermingled with the real actors. The well written script is concise so neither exposition nor action outstay their welcome on-screen.

One particular performance stands out as almost Shakespearian in delivery and that's Josh Brolin as Thanos. Hidden entirely behind his seven and a half foot purple-skinned motion-captured facade throughout, he totally brings all of his thespian powers to the role - and even though he is the main antagonist, you sort of can't wait till he's on-screen again. Everyone else does a stirling job and keeps you focused on the multi-stringed plot - but there's far too many to mention by name here. You can easy look them all up on IMDb. If you have a decent-sized TV at home with a good sound system, or even if you don't, go and get that bucket of your favourite popcorn and enjoy a cinematic spectacle!

Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) - A Guest Review by Chad Dixon

This is the fourth film that's been released since 2005 containing the iconic Marvel superhero team and the second reboot. This time it's to bring them under the official MCU umbrella and further consolidate all the major characters in one studio. Directed by Matt Shakman, known previously for his TV work on WandaVision (2021) and for a couple of episodes of Game of Thrones in S7, this is biggest project to date.

Labelled as Earth-828, (an alternate universe) we are in a retro-futuristic 1960's New York City. Dispensing with another full origin setup in this version, the long-time space exploration team are already fully established with their unique powers being in full public knowledge. As the Fantastic Four, they are well-respected by the people and city officials alike. Their home and base is the Baxter Building - a super-tall skyscraper in the centre of the city. And that's where the story begins.

We first see Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) in her bathroom looking directly at a positive pregnancy test. She immediately shows it to her husband, Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal). They embrace and bring the amazing news to the remaining members of the quartet in the lounge - her younger brother, Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and the massive rock-like being, Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), who are both equally delighted for the pending new arrival and can't wait to be uncles.

It's months later now and Reed, who is the main scientist of the group, is currently working on teleportation experiments. He's found success and shows Johnny as he transmits an egg four meters across the lab, intact. This is a big thing! Later that evening, all four are on the open-air balcony, high up on their building, when the siren alert sounds on all their team wristbands at once. A disturbance in the sky, but it's not massive weather system. Something otherworldly is arriving from Space!

The group mobilise in their flying car and head directly to Times Square, which Richards has worked out to be the focus of the disturbance. A massive crowd has already gathered there as the entity floats slowly down to hover over the square. It's a female human figure on a surfboard but totally coated in silver. She speaks and states that she is just the herald and has come to announce the fate of Earth - which has been chosen to be the latest planet consumed by the one called Galactus.

Obviously, this a redo of the story first brought to us in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner), who was already an established Marvel Comics character as the platinum-coated herald is a distinct change but works as well here. The much bigger budget here has not only expanded on the overall aesthetic, but it's given us a more authentic representation of the super-giant Galactus, perfectly played and voiced by the deep bass tones of Ralph Ineson.

Those aesthetics were a big part of the much more substantial feel to this Fantastic Four big screen outing, but although I still have a bit of a soft spot for that 2007 cast, I think this new cast embodies their roles well, as there's some interesting chemistry. The addition of baby as a potential future member was an intriguing prospect. There was quite a bit of scientific MacGuffin thrown into the plot but even though there was a couple of "Huh!" moments, it was easy to follow.

The final act was well choreographed as all the iconic superpowers worked well together, but the ending was a bit telegraphed and wasn't much of a surprise. Also, it came quicker than expected in this surprisingly short 1 hour and 55 minutes runtime. This film is the start of Phase Six of the MCU's latest big story arc and I'm already looking forward to seeing this team in action again. Stay for both the mid and post credit scenes.

Maniac (1963)

Directed by Michael Carreras this chilling black and white Hammer Horror plays out much more like a Hitchcock film than anything monster-like! It's a little dated now of course and the acting a little wooden, but it's good fun, with some suspense here and there and makes for a decent thriller.

Jeff Farrell, played by Kerwin Mathews, is an American artist who falls out with his rich girlfriend (and wants to shake off her father) near the outset of our story. We're in France and he turns up alone and with no transport (as she's taken it) at a village cafe which is run by Annette (Nadia Gray) and her seductive step-mother Eve (Nadia Gray). He tries his luck with the younger, but is foiled by the older and (very quickly) falls in love!

Annette's dad (and Eve's now husband) is in an asylum for having been declared mentally unstable after killing a man who raped Annette some years previous (which is actually depicted, sympathetically, in the opening scene). Georges the dad is played by Donald Houston. Eve, now apparently madly in love with Jeff hatches a plan to break Georges out so that she and Jeff can be free to start their life together without Georges' presence - and responsibility for her - hanging over them. Eve also wants to get Annette out of the way so as to have Jeff to herself (as she previously caught Jeff kissing Annette). Confused?!

It becomes a bit clearer when you realise that Eve is duty-bound to visit Georges every two weeks and tells Jeff how it is making her life wretched. And Annette, in the mix, wants to be with her dad with the promise of a rendezvous and new life for the two of them far from here. So, he gets out (with the help of someone on the inside) and Jeff and Eve give him a lift to a quayside where he is to hop on a boat, disappear, then send word to Annette to join him later when settled.

Right - that's the background to the yarn! Now the twists and turns start coming, Hitchcock-style, as we start to find out a bit more about all the characters. A body is found in Eve's car and the police start to sniff around - as the person who helped Georges disappear has gone missing. No spoilers, then - though probably many people will see the twists and turns coming.

The film's focus mostly stays with Jeff, who gets increasingly paranoid and drawn into a dark world of deceit, murder, manipulation and betrayal. He (and we) don't know quite who to trust (or not) by the end and as the layers of the story unfold.

There's plenty of noir atmosphere as the unsettling tension builds and as we find out a bit more about Georges, his liking for welding gear, and the line being drawn between sanity and madness! So, not a Hammer monster film, but it's certainly disturbing to watch and at times, keeps one on one's toes. Well I enjoyed it anyway - and you can too at the time of writing, available in full on YouTube.

Murderbot (2025) - A Guest Review by Adrian Brain

Don’t be fooled by the title - there isn’t too much murdering in this comedy, futuristic Sci-Fi series. Murderbot is a self-named security robot who hacks his own 'governor module', essentially giving him free will. However, if the authorities discover this he will be melted down, so has to continue on his assignments, hiding his free will, until he can figure out a way to escape the system and lead a fulfilled life.

He is assigned to accompany and protect a crew on a mission to an alien plant. SecUnit, as the crew name him, despises humans for being stupid and irrational. Unfortunately, the crew he has to protect are hippy-dippy, polyamorous tree huggers, with little awareness of the dangers they soon find themselves in. It isn’t going to be an easy ride for SecUnit, not least because one of the crew suspects something is 'off' with him.

Alexander Skarsgård (the blonde, good looking Skarsgård; True Blood, Succession etc.) is perfect as the wisecracking titular robot (though my missus howled in disappointment on finding he has no genitalia) - and David Dastmalchian is brilliantly cast as the human with cybernetic enhancements who is very suspicious of SecUnit’s motives. The remainder of the crew all leave an impression too. As you, and SecUnit, get to know them and their backgrounds, they all feel like well-rounded characters whose value systems might just keep them all alive.

The production values aren’t exceptional, but the effort has gone in where it counts - with the characters and the script rather than extensive CGI. All in all this is good fun. I found myself smiling throughout and there are even a few belly laughs. It is short and breezy, each episode (after the opener) only about 15 minutes long (by the time you take out the credits). What’s more, there is a show-within-a-show, 'Sanctuary Moon', which I wanted to see more of, but I’ll leave that for you to discover as you watch this. I’m glad to see that AppleTV is giving it a Season 2.

Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

This first thing to say about this controversial, often banned, disturbing exploitation film is that it really feels like it was made in 1980. I get that it's found-footage/documentary-style, being the bones of the storyline, but even so - it just, well, feels very dated and poorly acted. Mostly in the New York scenes.

It's a bonkers film about a crew who head off to South America to make a film about the Amazonian tribes and what they get up to - including, the aim, to show the world what nobody has seen before. They disappear and don't come back. So a few months later, some professor bod heads off with a tracking crew to see if they can find them.

This second crew witness scenes they wish they'd never seen, but it's only when they find the footage shot by the first team and bring it back to New York that the horror and tragedy becomes clear as to what happened to them, how badly behaved they were and what they witnessed.

So yes, loads of nudity, killings, cannibalism, maiming, (apparently real) footage of animals being killed, rapes and gang-rapes, alleged 'snuff' activities, graphic violence, hideous revenge from all sides, including rival tribes - and loads more. Nothing much is left to the imagination and it's certainly not one for the squeamish.

There's quite a bit of back-story to the production and fallout and I'll link the Wiki page in the first comment - including the arrest of Italian Director Ruggero Deodato who had to prove to the authorities that the actors involved were really still alive and the footage was not done for real!

It was banned in various places around the world but it can now be seen quite broadly, even on streaming platforms, but I have no idea how much has been edited for such outlets. There is an 'uncut' version on DVD and Blu-ray readily available now too. I guess time has opened people's mind to allowing such 'art'. Anyway, good luck if you fancy it! As regular readers of my dribblings will know, I usually find all this kind of terror/horror kinda funny, but this? No. Not really.