desky1973

For fans of the classic western, or fans of stories that challenge the status quo, this is a compelling and fascinating adventure told from a different perspective. Charlotte Lockton (Alice Eve) has moved from England to New Zealand with her rich husband in 1860. But after her home is attacked and baby son is kidnapped, she decides to track him down, joining a ragtag bunch of misfits and ex-convicts to travel to the rough mining community of Gold Town, where she believes her son has been taken. In short, it's the traditional western told from the eyes of a woman, not the typical gunslinger (although we see those too!)

The film features beautiful, rugged New Zealand landscape which looks incredibly cinematic, plus a powerful score. What is also notable is the ensemble cast, which is very impressive. The lineup features Jack Davenport (Pirates of the Caribbean, Kingsman: The Secret Service), Graham McTavish (Preacher, Outlander, Rambo), Richard O'Brien (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Crystal Maze), NZ music star Stan Walker and more. The cast is excellent and conveys the rich variety of characters very well, with settlers from all over the world, realistic in its history. With further reading, the filmmakers have done a good job combining a rarely discussed slice of history with a fresh, engaging story.

For an unconventional spin on a long established genre, and a strong cast to boot, The Stolen is a highly recommended, unusual western adventure.

An excellent, well made British indie drama with a sci-fi element. Please note this is NOT a sci-fi action film with explosions and monsters, and anyone going in with that pre-conception will very likely be disappointed. It is, in fact, a character driven story focusing around a blossoming (and subsequently collapsing) relationship between two people before an asteroid hits the earth bringing post-apocalyptic disaster. The story shifts back and fourth in time as we witness the struggles and emotions of these two characters, played against the backdrop of mysterious ships in the sky, humanity falling apart and the search for their daughter. It's a very tragic relationship story and shows the three dimensional effect on normal people faced with a disaster, as opposed to the disaster being the forefront and the cardboard cutout characters being fodder on the stage. It's a completely different style of storytelling and all the more impressive that it's an indie production from a UK cast and crew. I hadn't seen anything quite like it before.

The film is well shot, the story is intriguing and the script is good. But the element that stands out most is the acting. Both leads turn in excellent, heart-wrenching performances which span the full-spectrum of emotion, from joy and warmth (flashbacks) to misery, fear and anger (present day). The whole cast, inc supporting players, are very good and it greatly boosts a film like this, where the overall impact relies so strongly on the actors.

In short, this is a extremely high quality drama which tries something new and ambitious with it's sci-fi angle. Well worth seeking out and I hope to see more from this team very soon

Hit Girls, the dynamic short film from Rosebud Pictures has finally been released online, following a successful set of screenings at BAFTA, Working Title and Electric Cinema in London. Blending dark comedy and stylish action, Hit Girls brings together an exciting cast of dramatic and action filmmaking talent and is bound to become a cult favourite.

Word about this film has spread online for quite sometime now (the film was first screened back in 2010), yet very few were lucky enough to actually see it. All this changed with today's official launch of the film online and it's already been causing quite a stir on YouTube and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter!

On to the plot: Emma (Rosie Fellner: The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, Age of Heroes) and Megan (Gillian MacGregor: A Lonely Place to Die, Father's Day) are flat mates and like all best friends, they argue. Unlike most best friends, however, they are highly trained assassins! Megan has taken Emma off the job for falling in love with their target so Emma kills Megan's date (Joey Ansah: The Bourne Ultimatum, Street Fighter: Legacy) to retaliate. While burying him in the depths of the forest, their arguing reaches breaking point. With neither willing to back down, the normally cool and calculating Hit Girls lose their temper and all hell breaks loose. With old grudges rearing their ugly heads, can their friendship - and their lives - make it through the night?

From director Adrian Vitoria (Age of Heroes, The Crew), Hit Girls delivers a fresh and altogether different dose of action entertainment. Also helmed by actor/producer, Rosie Fellner, and actor/writer Gillian MacGregor, the film is a 'must-see' for fans of the female assassin genre. Gaining a high-energy boost from actor/fight choreographer, Joey Ansah, the film delivers hard on the action front and marks this team as one to watch out for!

There are rumours there may be more from this team, in the form of either a series or feature film. Hopefully it won't be the last we see of the Hit Girls gang, or this asskicking female duo for that matter! The UK action circuit needs more like this!