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'Zeitgeist' is certainly reminiscent of conspiracy documentaries that have become popular in recent years, mostly due to their free distribution over the internet. However, the most obvious problem with films of this type is that they almost always find themselves preaching to the converted.

The key points in 'Zeitgeist' are interesting, and the film's analysis of the US and Global financial systems is well worth watching. The film's comment on religion and politics is also interesting, but it all descends - perhaps inevitably - into standard conspiracy, ultra-radical and nonsensical suggestions about how to improve our global community. The film leads up to a final sequence which looks like a cult recruitment tape.

Unfortunately, once you peel back the initial layer of the financial and religious exposé, you are left with something little more advanced than a marijuana-inspired 'put the world to rights' session. The film's 'revolutionary' suggestion that we create a Utopian money-free society is about as realistic as telling us all to go and live under the sea.

If we really want to make the world a better place, we're going to have to look more at adapting what we have rather than throwing everything away and starting again, as is the conclusion of the film.

Having seen the Northern Ireland premier of this home-grown horror film at QFT in Belfast, I can now share my disappointment in its complete lack of features that would lead me to recommend it. 'Freakdog' tells the somewhat original tale of a comatose man's control over a group of friends, leading them to commit unspeakable acts. Unfortunately, it fails on almost every level; a complete non-starter as a horror film and totally incoherent as a thriller.

The opening portion of the film is simply dull; a chance for the screenwriter's occasionally competent dialogue to be ruined by an ill-conceived cast. The character development is so lacking that all human aspect of the story is played entirely in cliché, and the standard of acting is poor even for a low-budget independent feature.

Of course, the purpose of this film is obviously to provide either shocks or genuine, disturbing scares. It delivers neither. The film is utterly inept as a horror, offering nothing but a series of mild gore scenes to fans of the genre. Essentially, this film is mixture of poor acting, dull cinematography and a script that, despite a few good pieces of dialogue, is both confusing and simplistic in equal measure. However, the production team must be commended for successfully shooting a U.S-set film in Belfast, which is carried of convincingly.

Overall, 'Freakdog' is a poor effort when pitched against either major Hollywood horror films or the usual B-movie fare. It fails to deliver the necessary scares and constantly suffers from poor acting and a ludicrous storyline. I really cannot recommend this film, which is a real shame as I was hoping it would deliver so much more.

Metal mogul-turned-director Rob Zombie hits out at the slasher genre with this ludicrous and ill-advised remake of John Carpenter's genre defining work. Along the way, Zombie takes the audience on a journey of how to make an inept horror film. Its a useful exercise.

The concept of remaking Halloween would seem simple to most fans. Update the simple storyline with modern actors, somehow incorporate modern technology and stick to the original script as much as possible. Zombie takes a refreshing new path; throw out the original script, tack on a lengthy and dull prison-based first half, remove any genuine scares and replace them with over-the-top gore and explain Michael Myers' psyche with a pointless opening sequence full of comedy stereotypical characters.

As a director, Zombie shows little understanding of the genre. His style is akin to a thirteen year old who has just been permitted to watch his first R rated film. Overuse of gore does not compensate for genuine horror - as the original Halloween so perfectly demonstrated. In fact, if one thing was strikingly obvious about remaking Halloween, it would be this; what is not seen is more frightening than what is.

The acting from all concerned is of a poor standard. Other than the embarrassed-looking Malcolm McDowell, the performances in this film are extremely poor. Even McDowell is no substitute of Donald Pleasance, but he is at least watchable. Child player Daeg Faerch is weak as a young Myers, and Scout Taylor-Compton captures nothing of Jamie Lee-Curtis' vulnerable Laurie Strode.

Rob Zombie's Halloween is filled with poorly-conceived plot developments. For example, why would Judith Myers keep a William Shatner Halloween mask underneath her bed? Pointing out these hopelessly coincidental moments is perhaps the only enjoyable thing about watching this film.

Overall, Rob Zombie's Halloween is exactly what most fans of the original film expected it would be. The story has entirely lost its novelty, the film lacks any genuine scares as Zombie goes for gross-out gore and ghost train style jumps. Combined with uninspired acting, dull cinematography, a painfully lacking screenplay, a boring re-hash of John Carpenter's musical score and a tedious opening half make this film literally unredeemable. Frankly, it is just rubbish.