Author: Joel Fisher

Over the past few years, cinema has changed in immeasurable ways and in some that could never have been predicted. The rise in streaming services have led to a decline in cinema attendances and it seemed like cinema may be on its way out.

Movie theatres haven’t exactly helped themselves either, rising prices of tickets, food and drink has also led to people staying away. Then the pandemic hit and cinemas shut down completely, multiplexes were having the worst time in an unprecedented event and it really started to feel like the final nail in the coffin.

However, with the pandemic an opportunity arose as we were all at home thinking about the things that we took for granted. The comfort of being in our own homes and being able to do what we wanted whenever we wanted started to feel too confining – especially when that was all we had. So, people started to feel the need to reconnect and that’s where drive-in cinema gave the public the one thing that they desperately needed.

Back to The Drive-In is a documentary written and directed by April Wright which documents a time of uncertainty where nobody knew where life was headed. Visiting a number of drive-in theatres across America, director Wright lets the staff at those special cinemas talk about their experiences and what it means to them to still be doing something so unique.

There are still hard times though and although the documentary makes it clear that drive-ins may not necessarily be the future of cinema, it suggests that they shouldn’t be counted out just yet. After all, there are many different venues all done in their own ways.

From special screenings of classic movies with specially baked confectionary and a staff all dressed up for the occasion to drive-ins that try to recreate that vintage feel, it makes cinema feel like an event.

Going back and forth, the audience may start to realise that the drive-in cinema experience is still thriving, but may also be a bit confused as it so often darts from one to the other. However, there are enough stories and unusual encounters to keep things interesting and may remind audiences why they love cinema so much.

Marc Lack (John DiMino) is in trouble and he desperately needs the help of his friends. That’s because he’s seriously underprepared for an exam and after his less than sympathetic friends leave him to study in the library, he realises that he has no other option – he has to cram in as much knowledge as he can in one night.

He pours through books and writes down as much as he can find that may be useful, hoping that it goes in. However, soon Mark starts to see things and perhaps it could be his guilty conscience playing on his mind, or there could be things that are trying to stop him from learning.

Cram is a short movie directed by Abie Sidell which explores the biggest dread of a student’s life, the fear of not being able to pass. Gradually building up a sense of foreboding, Mark’s experience’s start to get stranger as they continue.

It feels as if everything he encounters has a tinge of the supernatural about it and with the bookshelves seemingly closing in on him, he’s starting to feel the pressure. He just has to find out what’s behind the visions that he’s experiencing.

Bringing that fear to life that every student has experienced at one time or another, director Sidell makes their fears manifest by attaching a demonic encounter to the worst things that could happen. Something of a creature feature, Cram feels like an almost nostalgic kind of horror movie which cleverly taps into something to which most people can relate.

That ominous feeling that if you had only done what you needed to do earlier, then you wouldn’t be in that mess gives the audience a character who they may enjoy seeing tormented. Although those who can identify with Mark may not want to admit how putting things off as late as possible can be so tempting.

A sort of morality tale, Cram is filled with laughs and inventive encounters, especially when Mark realises the source of his frights. It may also bring a smile to those who don’t mind their horror being low budget.

Solomon (Owen Conway) is a man who’s down on his luck and as he’s passing through town he decides to try and find some employment. He goes to a saloon where he finds a man called Hagan (Robert Sprayberry) who runs the place and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. He’s not sure about Solomon considering the state of him when he walked in, but he decides to give him a chance.

There Solomon meets Hagan’s other employees; Stella (Becky Jo Harris), Kate (Eva Hamilton) and Blondie (Brittany Mae) and he realises that this place doesn’t just sell whiskey and song.

However, after a shootout where Solomon kills three men in the saloon, the women all start reacting differently to him. Stella is overwhelmed with gratitude for saving her life, Kate reacts in quite the opposite way, but shows her gratitude in the only way she can.

Blondie remains mysterious and aloof, but Solomon starts to feel that she may have a hold over him, especially worrying since he’s been having terrifying visions since the day he arrived.

Ghost Town is a supernatural horror set in The Old West which focuses on a bartender with a dark past. Directed, written by and starring Owen Conway, the movie sets out an intriguing story which gradually builds up over time. However, despite all the good character building that the movie does, it feels like director Conway didn’t really know where he wanted it to go.

The production value of Ghost Town is quite impressive as well as it’s character developments, but there are moments where the audience may realise where the money was spent. Unfortunately, this means that whereas the world feels lived in, the special effects which heighten the supernatural aspect are not as effective. This also unfortunately leads to serious moments having a more comical effect.

It’s also all well and good for writer/director to put himself in a movie where three women are drawn to him in different ways after he saves their lives, but Solomon doesn’t feel like a character that audience wants to support. Unfortunately, this means that Ghost Town feels like a character driven story with too many plot threads which are hard for the audience to follow.

Shriver (Michael Shannon) has a few problems in his life. He wants to be a writer, but he constantly gets writer’s block and his drinking problem doesn’t help. He also happens to share the same name as a famous author who all but disappeared many years ago and despite being highly revered, nobody’s heard from him since.

Then one day Shriver gets a letter inviting him to a university to take part in a literary festival, hoping that his presence will increase interest in the event. Clearly realising that the letter is meant for his more famous namesake, Shriver sees an opportunity and thanks to some encouragement from a friend, he gets on a plane and heads to the university.

A Little White Lie (otherwise known as Shriver) is a comedy written and directed by Michael Maren, based on the novel of the same name by Chris Belden. However, although being based on a book there are certain things that an audience may expect from a comedy centred on a mistaken identity.

The movie does indeed play out this way and even when Shriver meets Simone (Kate Hudson) who’s come from the university to pick him up, the audience may pick up on an attraction between the two. Also, when Shriver comes to the university he’s met by T. Wasserman (Don Johnson), a self-styled bohemian writer/lecturer who takes him under his wing sparking an unlikely bromance.

However, although director Maren may have aspirations to bring his passion project to life, his inexperience shows. What could have been a light and funny comedy is leaden due to the pacing. Meaning certain story beats that could guide an audience down a path end up going nowhere and perhaps leaving the audience confused.

Shannon’s performance as the polite and introverted Shriver may tell the audience all they need to know. Because Shriver is just too boring to be a protagonist audiences will want to support, perhaps suggesting Shannon’s lost interest as well.

The many elements that go into A Little White Lie suggest a book which could have been adapted under a more confident writer/director. However, no matter how many famous faces are thrown at the screen, it doesn’t disguise how bored everybody feels.

Henry (Carter O’Donnell) and Jacob (Brady O’Donnell) are brothers who live with their abusive father. Their mother is absent after joining a cult and seeing as her being the better option, the boys plan their escape, setting out on the trail to find her. However, the closer they get to finding her, the stranger things are as they start seeing things that aren’t there and experience things they never could have imagined as something dark takes over.

The Long Dark Trail is a coming-of-age horror movie about two brothers trying to find a better place. Although being stuck between a rock and a hard place, where they either stay with their abusive father or search for their mother who has joined a Satanic cult, choosing the latter must have been a terrible choice to make.

The movie itself plays like something along the lines of The Blair Witch Project and often uses familiar horror movie tropes similarly to The Dark Pictures Anthology video game series, so the audience may know what to expect.

Unfortunately, despite the stunning visuals and striking imagery, the story plays out all too easily and isn’t helped with the performances of its inexperienced central characters. This means that despite the O’Donnell’s being real life brothers, their connection isn’t played upon enough, opting to just recite lines of dialogue.

There’s also the issue of how the movie is split up, dividing it into chapters may suggest a story that’s better thought out, but by doing that it leads to a certain expectation from the audience for something to happen. Meaning that it feels like the audience are let down over and over again as the chapters are so short and nothing happens in them – at least for the beginning of the movie.

There is a good story in there and with a more experienced cast and a director that wasn’t so interested in showing off the visuals, then it could have worked better.

Something which could have been an emotional journey and a chance to bond its lead actors instead feels mechanical and ever so predictable instead.