Originally published on Panic Dots.

“In 1982 the town of Crippen was rocked by a series of murders at Crippen High School. The killer was never caught. Now, several years later, a production company are in town to make a movie about the murders. However, it seems the killer is still there, and the cast and crew are beginning to disappear…”

Ah, 1980s horror. There’s nothing quite like it, and god bless the Horror Channel for showing films like these, because it would probably cost an arm and a leg to get my dad’s old Betamax repaired. I may be looking at this through rose tinted glasses, but the low budget horror we have nowadays isn’t a patch on films like Return To Horror High. It suffers from the same problem pornography did when cassette loaded and digital cameras became the cheapest way to make a film on a shoestring – without the huge financial obstacle, anyone can make a film of their own. It takes dedication to raise 100k or upwards, and it was a great way to stop wannabes before they even started. That’s not to say there haven’t been a number of celluloid abominations unleashed on the unsuspecting public, but when it costs a fiver for 60 minutes of film you’re bound to see an increase in tat.

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Originally published on Panic Dots.

It’s proving quite a challenge to write about Catfish without completely ruining it for the audience. Bearing that in mind, I’d like to let you know that I’m going to give it 5/5. If you intend on watching the film, and don’t want the experience compromised I would suggest that you stop reading now. Don’t even watch the trailer. Just go the cinema, completely blind, and drink it all in. Don’t even read this review!

Now, I’m going to show you a still from the film and carry on my review underneath. If you’re still here after that, then be warned: there will be some mild spoilers. Not huge ones, but spoilers none the less. Continue reading →

Originally published on Panic Dots.

It’s no fun growing up different. At least, that’s what anyone who was born in the early 80s had drummed into them on a daily basis. It’s only been in the last ten years or so that being a geek has taken on a cultural significance of its own, with cardigans very much being en vogue and thick rimmed glasses a must for any scenester worth his salt. It’s quite unsettling seeing the kids who used to chase you around the playground with poo on a stick all grown up and wearing a dungeons and dragons t-shirt, strutting their stuff at the indie disco. But fashions change, and for the time being, at least, geek chic is here to stay.

Submarine is set in Wales circa 1980s, and tells the tale of 15 year old Oliver (Craig Roberts), a young and troubled boy, who’s a little bit on the freaky side of eccentric. It will come as no surprise that it has little, if anything, to do with submarines.

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