Author: Joel Fisher

Land-locked between Russian, China, North Korea and Kazakhstan, Mongolia is a country that often seems to be forgotten and mainly because of the superpowers that surround it. There are also very few things known about Mongolia and much of that is about Genghis Khan who to the rest of the world sounded like a tyrannical ruler who attacked his enemies and took what he wanted.

However, to Mongolians, Genghis Khan was a ruler and a man ahead of his time he did what he could for the best of his country. His views were passed on to his people and some of those ways of life are still practiced today.

Echoes of The Empire – Beyond Genghis Khan is a documentary about Mongolia that starts with Genghis Khan’s rule and ends right in the present day. Telling the story of Genghis Khan through a different lens also shows a different side to the infamous ruler.

Whereas some may have seen his methods as ruthless and immoral, the Mongolian people see things differently and their former ruler’s actions brought about prosperity to their country. Not only that, but a very different society where women are encouraged to seek out education and employment over men.

However, there is also a side to Mongolia’s history that they’d rather forget. That’s because Communist rule meant that teachings and any mention of Genghis Khan were forbidden for nearly 70 years. So modern Mongolians are starting to learn about Genghis Khan and his legacy, meaning that a country once governed by an oppressive rule can embrace their history and be proud once again.

Echoes of The Empire charts Mongolia’s history, but also comes down firmly in the modern day. Not only talking about the rising Mongolian cityscapes, but also its vast and beautiful countryside which creates an unusual divide where progress meets tradition and heritage.

The documentary shows that Mongolia is not a country stuck in the past or a place that wants to hide from the world anymore. Instead, it’s a country that wants to learn from others and maybe dispel the misconceptions that have been held over the country for so long.

Tagger (Nick Chinlund) leads a ragtag team of US soldiers in Afghanistan in search of the Taliban. They know what they’re doing and they’re professional despite their unusual methods, but this time the enemy has the upper hand and the troop find themselves trapped in a cave.

Left to survive and rely on their training, the gang pull together and search the cave to find another way out. However, as they go deeper, they start to get the feeling that they’re not alone and there may be something watching. Things get even worse though when they find something they shouldn’t have and they start seeing things that aren’t really there.

The Prey: Legend of Karnoctus is an action movie which pays homage to films from the Eighties where a group of big burly men armed to the teeth get trapped in a seemingly impossible situation in which they have to escape. All the men have their own personalities and it’s obvious to see where the influences come from.

Everyone from the gruff and deep voiced Reid (Kevin Grevioux) to the nerdy, glasses wearing Sullivan (Matt Musgrove) are represented. Although despite their differences, the chemistry and banter in the group is fun and keep things moving along.

However, it’s very clearly meant to be a Predator homage and those who are familiar with the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger movie will know where the story is going. Also, the inclusion of Danny Trejo may bring in a certain kind of audience, but those fans may be disappointed as his involvement is minimal. Although this is the danger of bringing together an ensemble cast, as not everyone is going to get equal screen time.

There is seemingly a very strict formula which the film tries to follow in order to evoke its biggest influence, but there is also an attempt to bring in another element to make it stand out. However, this only seems to be in there to pad out the running time and adds very little to the plot. It may have also been nice to understand more about the mythical creature in the title other than just knowing that it’s dangerous.

The Prey: Legend of Karnoctus doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel when it comes to updating monster movies of its kind and the ending does feel rather rushed. However, there are fun moments as long as you don’t set your expectations too high.

Jan (Mark Waschke) and Amélie (Marthe Schneider) are husband and wife that also work together in a PR company. The world is ever changing and the rise in extreme politics has put them into a quandary when they’re asked to support an anti-immigrant group. At home, Jan and Amelie’s lives couldn’t be more normal and they have two children; Emma (Julie Hermann) who is a teenager and Max (Wanja Valentin Kube) who is just growing up and has the world ahead of him.

Then one night after deciding to go away into their holiday home, there’s a disturbance and Amelie is startled by men in masks who disappear as quickly as they appeared. They contact the police, but it all happened so fast that Amelie can’t really be sure as to what happened and who the intruders were.

Life goes on though and they carry on, but it seems that one small incident has caused larger ripples which run through the whole family.

Human Factors is a thoughtful German drama directed and written by Ronny Trocker which takes a look at an ordinary family life that gets shaken up when they least expect it. Starting out on a seemingly ordinary day, the sudden disruption to their lives could be the catalyst that snowballs into melodrama with any other film.

However, what Trocker’s film does is much more subtle and feels more real as little moments start to play out directly because of their intrusion.

Told from different perspectives of the family, each part replays the story from the opening scene right to a point where the damage has clearly taken affect. Thankfully though, this doesn’t feel repetitive and gimmicky as each perspective reveals a little more of the story. This makes Human Factors not only an interesting character study, but also gives the audience a satisfying and poignant narrative framing.

Human Factors may be the kind of drama that audiences expect to escalate on somewhat unrealistic ways. However, its performances and slice of life approach makes it feel like something to which everyone can relate. Particularly as it focuses on Max and Wanja Valentin Kube’s charming performance as the youngest and most unaffected.

Dating is hard and it seems like it’s especially hard right now. The world seems to be consumed with social media, so meeting somebody face to face and feeling that instant chemistry with somebody seems like a lost feeling.

Sex, Love Misery: New New York is a heart-warming documentary directed by Shannon Alexander that explores the new world of dating and what people really mean when the text that they sent isn’t entirely clear. Following four potential couples; Aisha, Emile, Izzie, Troy, Jack and Camilla, Sex, Love Misery shows an unfiltered reaction from both sides. Starting from the initial few texts to the first date and whatever goes beyond that point.

Going back and forth between each person, Sex, Love, Misery introduces each potential single without any judgment or subtext as to how Alexander is trying to frame her subjects. Instead, each person is shown up front and as the couples get to know each other, so do the audience.

First impressions count though, so at first the audience may find that they can’t help judging some people. However, through the different interviews at each stage of their budding relationships, the audience may realise that there are different sides to these people. They may even find that every one of them has something holding them back from true love.

There are issues though as despite its relatively short time of just over an hour, the audience may be forgiven for forgetting about some of the people involved. There are certainly some couples who get on better than others and this unfortunately exposes some flaws in the format of the documentary.

Where a lot of dating reality shows that like to have its audience like a fly on a wall, Sex, Love, Misery decides not to show the actual dates, preferring to go for the before and after. This means that where one couple in particular get a lot of screen time, others get barely any at all and it may have been interesting to see exactly how some dates went wrong.

Saying that though, Sex, Love, Misery: New New York will lift your heart and leave you with a smile. It helps that Shannon Alexander has brought out so much from the people in the documentary as it feels like we really get to know them. It may even reignite hope for love in such an uncertain time.

In the early Nineties, Grunge took off and was embraced by the music industry and soon bands like Nirvana, Sound Garden and Sonic Youth became household names. Then come along Dinosaur Jr., a band whose members comprised of a trio of young men who were nervous about being thrust into the limelight, but their talent was just too good to hold back.

Frontman, J. Mascis was also not your typical singer as although on stage he would bear his soul, off stage he was as quiet and reserved as any man could be. It’s said that while Dinosaur Jr.’s success was on the rise that J. really came out of his shell, but those not familiar with him will wonder in his interviews when he ever went back in.

Freakscene: The Story of Dinosaur Jr. is a documentary about a band whose influences were punk rock and metal, but their demeanours and a need to pigeon hole their talent meant they often went right into the Grunge category.

Directed by Philipp Virus, J. Mascis’ brother-in-law, the story of Dinosaur Jr. takes them right from their early days at high school right through to the present day when they were still touring. However, as with many band documentaries, there were issues along the way.

Certain band members felt like they were being put into a position where they were being exploited by the industry and where bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam where more well known, Dinosaur Jr. were where the live performances mattered. This is where their story and the documentary shows the band at their best. Because even if you just have a glancing interest in Grunge, the music is where you’ll know the band. This is also where the documentary and their story comes alive.

What you may have known about Dinosaur Jr. on the radio is so different from what you may hear on tour. Their polished radio edits become raw and messy in the best way and that’s what celebrates the band the best.

Moving through their career right up to their 30^th anniversary, Freakscene shows a band who have come and gone but have shown that even though making music isn’t fun, it’s the only thing that matters.