REVIEW: The Desperate Hour (2022) - Starring Naomi Watts

Naomi Watts stars as Amy in what is nearly a one-woman film. Directed by Phillip Noyce, The Desperate Hour tells the story of Amy, a mother mourning the death of her Husband. She lives with her kids, a daughter and teenage son Noah, played by Colton Gobbo. Her son is depressed, for obvious reasons, and the film starts off with her trying to get him out of bed to go to school.

Amy goes on her morning jog, as she is jogging, she is also answering calls, replying to texts, and so on. As she is jogging, a number of police cars pass her on the road, she thinks nothing of it until she gets an emergency alert on her phone.

There is an emergency at the school, someone has a gun and is holding people hostage. Amy is in the middle of the woods, and desperate to know if her kids are ok, her daughter is in elementary school and is ok, but she does not know if her son got to school, after some detective work, she finds out that his truck is there, so he is at the high school, where the situation is unfolding. Is he alive? Is he involved? What is going on?

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/03/review-desperate-hour-2022-starring.html

REVIEW: Hellbender (2022) Starring Zelda Adams, Toby Poser, Lulu Adams & John Adams

In recent years Shudder has really stepped out of the shadows releasing one great horror film after another. Hellbender is the latest addition to the ever-growing catalog.

Zelda Adams plays 16-year-old Izzy, a young woman who lives a quiet existence on a mountain with her super protective mother (Toby Poser). She knows nothing outside of what her mother has taught her and is home schooled due to an auto-immune disease which leaves her open to infection.

Throw in the fact that Izzy and her mother are supernatural witches called Hellbenders, who live off of moss and seed cones, and reproduce asexually, and you have an interesting dynamic.

Izzy and her mom pass the time with their little private metal band, Izzy on Drums and her mom on Bass. They sing your typical metal songs about the end of the world, and killing people.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/03/review-hellbender-2022-starring-zelda.html

REVIEW: Supercool (2022) Stars Jake Short, Miles J. Harvey and Damon Wayans Jr.

Been a while since I have seen a Teen based comedy. I remember the classics like Porky's or American Pie which still stir the memories today, Supercool at its base is a film about a virgin wanting to get laid, but unfortunately in the modern era you just can't make comedies like that anymore, so from the start Supercool is limited in where it can go. Saying that however it does have its moments.

The film stars Jake Short and Miles J Harvey as Neil and Gilbert, they have just started their senior year of high school, so I think that would be 17 or 18? Both Neil and Gilbert have high hopes and aspirations.

The film starts with school kids on the school bus, suddenly a masked man with a gun gets on the bus and kidnaps Neil's crush Summer (Madison Davenport) and throws her in a van. What follows is a pretty awesome scene, with Neil and Gilbert taking control of the school bus, chasing after the kidnapper, and rescuing Summer, but it is all just in the imagination of Neil, who drew the scene in his notebook.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/03/review-supercool-2022-stars-jake-short.html

'The Birth of Daniel F Harris' - First look image

"Danny grew up in a house in the middle of nowhere and was told that the world outside was full of monsters waiting to snatch him away. The Birth of Daniel F Harris explores what happens when he finally leaves the house and is introduced to our world for the first time. It's a chance to re-evaluate everything we think is normal through the eyes of someone for whom it's all completely new." Pete Jackson, Writer, The Birth of Daniel F Harris

The Birth of Daniel F Harris, produced by Clerkenwell Films, will star Lewis Gribben, Samuel Bottomley, Lisa McGrillis and Rory Keenan. It will launch on Channel 4 later this year.

REVIEW: Blacklight (2022) Starring Liam Neeson, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Taylor John Smith and Aidan Quinn

The film starts with a political activist called Sofia Flores, (Played by Melanie Jarnson), she is talking to a group of people about women's quality, racism etc. Your typical liberal activist. Later in the day she is killed in a hit and run, near to her home.

That is the juice for this story. In comes Travis Block, (played by Liam Neeson), Travis is a Vietnam War veteran who works for the Director of the FBI Gabriel Robinson, (Played by Aidan Quinn). Block is something of a "fixer" for the FBI Director, his job is to rescue or recover undercover agents who have either been made, or find themselves in a difficult to escape position.

Blocks latest job is to bring in Dusty Crane, (played by Taylor John Smith). Block would rather retire and spend more time with his family, but the FBI director needs him.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/03/review-blacklight-2022-starring-liam.html

REVIEW: Pretty Girls Four Kings Solitaire on PC (Steam)

I never thought I would be reviewing a Solitaire game, but here we are.

I recently reviewed another "Pretty Girls" release called Speed, I gave that game a strong 9/10. Well, the good people at Zoo Corporation have asked me to take a look at their newest "Pretty Girls" release, this time it is Solitaire. Yes Solitaire, that game everyone gets free with their PC running Windows. So, what is different about this game that sets it apart from the Windows version?

Well, it is the "Pretty Girls" of course. But that aside the gameplay still needs to work for the game to be good.

There are a few different versions of Solitaire going around, slightly different rules. Since this game is from Japan, the rules are a little different to what I was familiar with, but in many ways, this is a superior version.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/03/review-pretty-girls-four-kings.html

REVIEW: The Requin (2022) Starring Alicia Silverstone and James Tupper

The Requin stars Alicia Silverstone as Jaelyn and James Tupper as Kyle, a married couple on a luxury holiday in Vietnam, they rent a cabin that floats on the water, we soon find out that Jaelyn recently lost a child in childbirth after she has a flashback upon seeing blood from Kyle's leg when he cuts it swimming.

Before you know it a Monsoon has hit the area, the fancy cabin breaks from the ropes holding it, and they start floating out to see, despite having a chance to climb on a rock relatively near to shore, they decide it is too dangerous with the waves, and stay on the cabin, which is now basically a raft. Day turns to Night turns to Day to Night, and they are stuck in the middle of the sea. Kyle has a broken leg, and blood has attracted sharks. And that is the basic premise of this thriller/horror film.

Alicia Silverstone is very screamy in this film, and James Tupper is the husband who can't do anything right.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/03/review-requin-2022-starring-alicia.html

REVIEW: Never Alone: Arctic Collection - Nintendo Switch

Never Alone is a platform/puzzle game, developed in full collaboration with the Iñupiat, an Alaska Native people. 40 members of the Iñupiat contributed to the game. And includes the Foxtales DLC that was originally released on PC.

You play as Nuna and a friendly Fox, you are in search of the source of the blizzard that threatens the very survival of everything they know. Set in the Arctic, the world around you is very harsh, and it will take smarts to survive and progress.

Switch between controlling Nuna or the Fox, to help you navigate through the landscape, solve puzzles, and evade various creatures. The further your make your way across the frozen landscapes, and underground passages, the more you will find out. At its base the game is a platforming game, but you will find yourself running from Polar Bears, swimming under ice cold water in underground caves, climbing, jumping and running. You can play with a friend controlling one character and you the other, but in single player mode, you can simply switch between Nuna or the Fox, depending on the challenge ahead. The fox for example can crawl through small gaps, run faster and jump higher. You might need the Fox to reach an area and then let down a rope for Nuna to use to climb up.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/03/review-never-alone-arctic-collection.html

REVIEW: The Adam Project (2022) Starring Ryan Reynolds, Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Garner

One of the more popular actors of modern times, Ryan Reynolds is back in his latest Netflix film.

 

Directed by Shawn Levy, The Adam Project stars Ryan Reynolds as Adam Reed a fighter pilot in 2050, the film starts with him in his jet being chased in the upper atmosphere of Earth, before you know it, he has opened a wormhole and travelled back in time to 2022, and crash lands. He goes to the only place he knows will exist in 2022, that being his family house. He is injured and needs medical help.

With all the usual Time Travel clichés thrown out of the window, big Adam soon meets little Adam, (Played by Walker Scobell), and reveals who he is. And before you know it, they have teamed up on a mission to save Laura Reed (Adams future wife, played by Zoe Saldaña).

Confused yet? Well big Adam jumped to the wrong time, he meant to go to 2018, which means more time travel, and then meeting up with Adam's father who died in 2021, who just so happened to have invented time travel.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/03/review-adam-project-2022-starring-ryan.html

REVIEW: Demetrios The Big Cynical Adventure REPLASTERED for PS5

​Demetrios is a quirky adventure game packed with tons of humour!

Bjorn Thonen, a slob of an antique dealer living in Paris, is robbed one night after coming home drunk. Forced to conduct his own investigation with the help of his neighbour Sandra, he ends up involved in a murky, mysterious affair. Will these unlikely heroes be able to rise up and discover ancient secrets?

Originally released on Steam, PS Vita, Xbox One, now the game gets a "REPLASTERED" 4K release on PS5.

 

Demetrios is a self proclaimed "Quirky" adventure game created by Fabrice Breton, and one look at the credits and you realise that Fabrice pretty much made the entire game himself, which is really impressive in this day and age. Well now the game is back once again on PS5 in stunning 4K, and I got my hands on it a week before release, because, you know, I am special. As a man in my early 40s, this is the kind of point and click adventure game I grew up on, back in the days of the Atari ST and Amiga. Where as kids of this generation will always prefer the instant gratification of blowing someones head off, I much prefer a little bit of work in a game before I get such gratification, well that or making my character put his fingers in an electrical outlet.

​Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2017/08/review-demetrios-big-cynical-adventure.html

PREVIEW: Batora: Lost Haven on PC (Steam)

I was asked to take a look at Batora: Lost Haven on PC (Steam), although not officially released, the version I played is something of a prologue, or demo.

"In Batora: Lost Haven, players will take on the role of Avril – an unlikely young hero and the last hope of a dying Earth, as she travels between planets, meets an eclectic cast of characters, and explores a range of colourful and diverse sci-fi fantasy environments. Along the way, players will be faced with an array of important decisions, the consequences of which can be far-reaching and shape Avril's personality for the rest of the game. For Avril to survive, players will have to fight, think on their feet, and master the 'Nature Switch' ability to balance their mental and physical fortitude while solving unique environmental puzzles."

Batora is an isometric type view, sci fi adventure game. Twin stick shooter meets hack and slash type gameplay.

The main gimmick of the game seems to be the ability to switch from physical (Sun powered) to mental (Moon powered) characteristics which in turn affects the way you play, from which enemies you can attack, to how you attack them. Physical (glows orange, power of the Sun) has you slashing at enemies with a weapon, and mental (glows purple, power of the Moon) as shooting from further away.

More at 

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/03/preview-batora-lost-haven-on-pc-steam.html

The Change, a brand new six-part comedy-drama series created by Bridget Christie.

The Change, a brand new six-part comedy-drama series produced, written, and starring multi-award-winning stand-up comedian, actor, and writer Bridget Christie, has been commissioned by Channel 4. Expectation is in charge of the show's production.

Linda - played by Christie (Edinburgh Comedy Award, Rose D'Or and South Bank Sky Arts Award winner) - a 50-year-old working class married mother of two, is having an existential crisis. Who is she? What is she? Is this it? Convinced she's got early onset dementia after forgetting what a shoe is called, Linda's GP informs her it is, in fact, the menopause. Feeling invigorated and empowered by this information, Linda decides to claw back some of the time she's spent doing 'invisible work' over the years (not all 3.5 million minutes, just 131,500 of them) to do something for herself… for a change.  

Dusting off her old Triumph motorbike that she hasn't ridden in 30 years, Linda sets off alone to the spectacular wilderness of The Forest of Dean - in search of an identity, a purpose, and tree she climbed as a child. Along the way she meets an array of eccentric locals, including the infamous Eel Sisters, an angry local radio presenter and a mysterious man who lives in the woods with the wild boar. What could possibly go wrong?

REVIEW: Project Gemini (2022) From director Serik Beyseu and Starring Egor Koreshkov, Dmitriy Frid and Martinez Lisa

It is that time of the week whereby I review the latest low budget film, now you know I love my low budget films, so I was looking forward to Project Gemini, if only for that awesome poster! Props to the design team for that.

Project Gemini is a sci-fi survival thriller; a deadly virus has destroyed life on Earth, well at least it is not World War 3! I imagine we will get a lot of films with that storyline in the coming months. Anyway, a deadly virus has infected all the plants on earth, and animals eat plants, and humans eat animals, so you can see the problem. Scientists have decided that the best hope for the human race is to find a new planet to live on.

We have a crew, Steve (Egor Koreshkov), David (Dmitriy Frid) and Leona (Martinez Lisa), we have a rocket ship. Oh, and luckily, we also have a 4-billion-year-old piece of alien technology that we found, have managed to replicate and that will help us terraform a planet that is just 300 lightyears from Earth. For some reason the planet is called Tess, and to get there our crew needs to head through a wormhole of sorts. Of course, with this being a sci fi survival thriller, there is always more going on.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/03/review-project-gemini-2022-from.html

INTERVIEW: Howard Ford - Director of The Ledge

Ahead of FrightFest's UK premiere of THE LEDGE at the Glasgow Film Festival, director Howard Ford talks about how he nearly lost his life to a mountain fall, reviving THE DEAD and playing 'Russian Roulette'.

Your latest film, THE LEDGE, is receiving its UK premiere at FrightFest Glasgow 2022. Excited, nervous?

Well it's always an exciting time with FrightFest and I do love the big screen with a crowd as that's why I got into making films in the first place. With 'The Ledge' I have tried to frame it to work well as cinema in its traditional manner as I wanted the shots and mountain scenery to breathe. So it'll be exciting to share that immersive experience.

THE LEDGE has been described as a "suspense-filled, deadly cat and mouse game thriller set on a mountain". Happy with that?

I'm more than happy with the description. It beats the usual 'female cliff-hanger'. The funny thing is about films is that no matter what you try to do or how much effort you make to get it on screen, there is always a bunch of folks who jump online and can't wait to tell you it's the worst film ever made! Some people get it, some never will…

Read Full Interview at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/03/interview-howard-ford-director-of-ledge.html

TRAILER: The Darker The Lake - Starring Veronica Ferres, Gina Stiebitz, Elyse Levesque and Vladimir Burlakov

Starring Veronica Ferres (Dreamland, Salt and Fire), Gina Stiebitz  (Dark, Unexpected), Elyse Levesque (SGU Stargate Universe, Ready or Not ), Vladimir Burlakov (Iron Sky: The Coming Race, Deutschland 83)

The Darker the Lake, a brand-new supernatural thriller with a Nordic noir edge from director Lok Kwan Woo (White Terror, Angels Never Cry), is set to thrill and chill audiences, with its UK premiere in March 2022, courtesy of (Yet) Another Distribution Company and 101 Films.

1987, St. Michael, a group of high school friends discover an ancient board game and start to play. They become consumed by their addictive new pastime. But things turn deadly…  the players start to meet a disturbing demise and the survivors vow never to speak of the game again.

Fast forward to 2021 and a spate of strange deaths – in the very same small town – have shaken locals to their core… bearing striking similarities to the events of more than 30 years ago, could the devastating events be linked?

Two detectives – with their own personal links to the area –  are brought together to work on the case. When they track down those involved in the original mystery, all those years ago, things start to get complicated... With seemingly mystical forces at play, they are pulled into the dangerous and perplexing world of the game and as the stakes are raised, the danger gets perilously close to home.

With a roll of the dice will the detectives win, or will they pay the ultimate price in The Darker The Lake?

Watch Trailer at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/03/trailer-darker-lake-starring-veronica.html

REVIEW - Clean (2022) Starring Adrien Brody, Glenn Fleshler, Richie Merritt, Chandler DuPont, Michelle Wilson, John Bianco, Dinora Walcott, Mykelti Williamson, and RZA

Clean, directed by Paul Solet is about a bin man called Clean, played by Adrien Brody, he has a long violent history, and is trying to lead a life of redemption. But soon ends up having to deal with a crime boss who has targeted him.

Adrien Brody having written, produced and acted in this film, clearly sees this film as a vehicle for him to display his many skills. Now whether it is Nominative Determinism, or just a nickname, Brody plays a character called Clean, who is a trash collector, or Bin Man was we say in the UK. He has lost his daughter, which we find out through flash backs, and has befriended a next-door neighbour, who acts as something of a replacement daughter for him. Dianda (played by Chandler DuPont) has lost her mother so lives with her Grandmother. Clean helps out when the Grandmother is busy, or just plain neglectful of her granddaughter, and takes the girl to school or out for dinner. Yes, I know it all sounds a bit strange but it's a plot point needed for the film.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/02/review-clean-2022-starring-adrien-brody.html

REVIEW: No Place Like Home on PC (Steam)

Although this game is "Early Access" it is pretty polished, so I will treat it with the respect that it deserves, as not only Early Access, but also as a very well developed, and far along game.

The story goes that the Human Race has mostly deserted the Earth and gone to live on Mars, behind them they have left the Earth as a waste filled dump. Your job is to explore and clean up. And try to restore the beauty to the world around you.

At its base this is something of a farming simulator. But there is more to it than just that as you can domesticate wild animals, build your village, craft items and eventually build your perfect home. Hence the name of the game "No Place Like Home"

When you first start you will have a vacuum on your back, that will suck up trash, as you walk around, you will find seeds, which you can then plant and water, grow plants, which you can use to make meals which you can then trade.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/02/review-no-place-like-home-on-pc-steam.html

REVIEW: The Ledge - Starring Brittany Ashworth

A low budget climbing adventure horror film you say? Well, I don't mind if I do Sir.

A couple of friends decide to go rock climbing, but when Kelly (played by the lovely Brittany Ashworth) witnesses the murder of her best friend Sophie by a group of young men, she has to find a way to escape before she becomes their next victim.

It all starts when the two girls befriend a tight knit group of men, who have dark secrets that have cemented their bond. Of course, with young men and young women about, that means only one thing in a film like this, a really unlikeable man, who decides to try his luck and end up killing someone. A woman who witnesses the killing, and then a bunch of friends all sticking together and trying to get rid of the only witness, along with her video camera.

Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/02/review-ledge-starring-brittany-ashworth.html

Jane Seymour's 'Harry Wild' a brand new Acorn TV Original Series Debuts on 4th April 2022

Jane Seymour stars as Harriet "Harry" Wild, a retiring university literature professor who is finding herself at one of life's crossroads. Jolted from a mugging, she reluctantly agrees to recover in the home of her son, Charlie (Kevin Ryan, Guilt, Copper), a senior police detective. Harry starts to interfere in a particularly baffling murder case Charlie is investigating when she notices the murder shares striking similarities to an obscure Elizabethan play. When her path crosses that of her mugger, Fergus Reid (Rohan Nedd, Whitstable Pearl), Harry sees great potential in the troubled teen and, instead of turning him in, enlists him as her sidekick. Following her successful, albeit ill-advised, involvement in the case, Harry discovers a new lust for life. She and Fergus quickly find new mysteries, including ones that involve a fledgling serial killer with a Dostoevsky fixation, gamblers running snuff games, and a wealthy Dublin matriarch strangled during a video call. Harry's new passion brings her into direct conflict with Charlie, who could really do without his mother causing trouble at work. Stuart Graham (The Fall, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and Amy Huberman (Finding Joy, Striking Out) also co-star.

Watch Trailer at

http://www.jonn.co.uk/2022/02/jane-seymours-harry-wild-brand-new.html

REVIEW: Echoes of the Past Starring Max Von Sydow

There have been countless films made about "The Holocaust", but not so many films made about the genocides of other ethnic groups. On December 13, 1943 there was such a genocide, one you will probably never have heard of if you live outside of Greece.

Σφαγή των Καλαβρύτων (The Kalavryta Holocaust) and the massacre by Nazi troops is a dark day in the history of a great country.

Echoes of the Past tells two fictional stories side by side, but based on a very real historic event, a modern story about the Greek Government launching a claim against Germany for reparations and the story of Nikolas Andreou (played by Max von Sydow in the Modern era), as a child he managed to escape the massacre, and now is on his final days on this earth, haunted by the horrors he witnessed and escaped from.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/02/review-echoes-of-past-starring-max-von_21.html

REVIEW: Guntech 2 on Xbox

Guntech 2 is a retro style twin stick top-down view shooter. Reminiscent of classic games Thrust, Oids, Geometry Wars, and Asteroids.

Utopos Space Station was the new hope for humans. It failed. Never underestimate human greed.

Your job is to clean up the mess. Fight alien life forms, rescue scientists, deliver vaccines to combat a deadly pandemic. The asteroid belt is filled with wild space aliens, many of them results of failed human experiments to create life that survives in space. You will even find a dragon in space!

As is often the case in such games, you fly about, shoot the aliens, get to the end point and on you go. This game has that but also a nice little twist. There is a virus pandemic affecting the solar system, and giant viruses the same size as alien rockets are floating around, and you need to take them out.

In normal times such a twist in a game would seem silly or pointless, but in current times it fits in just about perfectly. The viruses can even attach to your ship and drain your power. Along with the giant viruses and aliens, there are also demons, dragons and all sorts to fight.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/02/review-guntech-2-on-xbox.html

REVIEW: Shut In (2022) - Starring Rainey Qualley, Jake Horowitz, Luciana VanDette and Vincent Gallo

Former meth addict Jessica, (played by the fantastic Rainey Qualley) lives with her two young children, doing her best to survive with very little money, she wants to sell the family house that originally belonged to her Grandmother, so she can move away and start a new life.

By accident she managed to lock herself in her pantry, the heavy door was wedged open on a brick, and as she is inside, it comes loose and slams shut. Despite her best efforts, and that of her young daughter, Lainey, (played by the adorable Luciana VanDette), she remains stuck inside.

Unfortunately, it is at this time that Jessica's abusive drug addict ex Rob (Jake Horowitz) decides to turn up, along with his pedophile friend Sammy (Vincent Gallo) he lets her out at first, but after an argument, he throws her back in the pantry and nails it shut. He pushes a bag of drugs under the door too in the hope she will take some and revert back to being an addict like him.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/02/review-shut-in-2022-starring-rainey.html

Preview: Submerged: Hidden Depths on PC (Steam)

I have played Submerged: Hidden Depths for a good few hours and got a pretty good impression of the game. Now I never played the predecessor, Submerged, so I come at this game completely fresh and with no pre-conceived ideas.

Upon starting it becomes clear pretty quickly that this game is about relaxation and exploration. Relaxation for you the player, and exploration for the characters you control. There are no enemies as such to fight, so you really can just sit back and chill as you play.

The game is full 3D, you play as Miku and Taku, the game chooses different characters for you, swapping between each, as you explore a sunken city, surrounded by water. There are plenty of ruins, which you can travel to on boat, you will then find yourself climbing, swinging and jumping to different areas of each building, and collecting various items, both from these buildings but also from the surrounding sea. So that might be flowers, boat parts, diaries, and also detecting all creatures and cataloguing them.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/02/preview-submerged-hidden-depths-on-pc.html

REVIEW: Beyond Existence - Starring Amelia Clay, Gary MacKay and Vincent Vermignon

I am always weary of reviewing films I have never heard of, films that have apparently won awards that I wasn't aware of, and films with a super low budget.

Capital Films have been very honest that they had basically a zero-budget, but understand that there is a difference I think between films that are churned out as low budget films, and films that are made with love from a low budget. I would like to think that Beyond Existence comes under the latter of those two options.

Amelia Clay plays Ellen, a Government agent type, think FBI but in England, Detective Inspector Burnside but with a more serious side. She tracks down a character known as "The Professor" played by Gary MacKay, and sadly not Sergio Marquina. The professor holds a deadly secret, both literally and figuratively. Who is he, what does he want, and what does he have in his briefcase! Ellen is under orders to help The Professor, and it seems that there is an immortal bounty hunter (Vincent Vermignon) who is after The Professor.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/02/review-beyond-existence-starring-amelia.html

Stonehouse, starring Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawes - Coming soon to ITV

The life and times of disgraced Labour minister John Stonehouse will be dramatised for ITV by writer John Preston and Matthew Macfadyen, in the lead role and Keeley Hawes (Honour, It's A Sin) co-starring as Stonehouse's wife Barbara.

Stonehouse, a high-flying member of Harold Wilson's Government, vanished from the beach of a large luxury hotel in Florida in November 1974, leaving a neatly folded pile of clothes as he swam into the sea, intent on faking his own death. The three-part drama is directed by BAFTA-nominated Jon S. Baird (Stan & Ollie, Vinyl, Filth) with BritBox International as co-production partners.

Matthew Macfadyen:
"What happened to John Stonehouse is the stuff of legend.  I've always been intrigued by what motivated him to fake his own death, and leave behind the family he loved and doted upon and a promising political career. John Preston's script truly captures the man and his colourful life and I'm looking forward to taking on his character."

As a stunned public and media assumed he had drowned or been eaten by sharks, the MP for Walsall North left behind his loving wife Barbara and three small children.

Stonehouse had charmed Prime Minister Harold Wilson and Labour stalwarts from an early stage in his parliamentary career, radiating charm and bursting with confidence. He came from a working-class family, graduated from the London School of Economics, served in the Royal Air Force during WWII, and seemed like the perfect fit for a career in politics.

As the storey progresses, it becomes clear that his image as a dedicated family man was a lie, as he'd had an extramarital romance with his secretary, Sheila Buckley, and worked as a spy for the Czech Secret Service.

His complex financial status and relationships eventually took their toll, with Stonehouse deliberately stealing the identity of a recently deceased constituent. Stonehouse applied for a passport in the dead man's name and began to weave an elaborate conspiracy, seeking a new life in Australia. But his plans soon turned sour as Stonehouse was arrested by Australian police who had been under the mistaken impression that he was the fugitive peer Lord Lucan.

Brought back to the UK by Scotland Yard detectives, Stonehouse found that he was crucial to keeping the Labour government in power with its wafer-thin majority.

The drama will also star Emer Heatley (Showtrial) as Stonehouse's mistress Sheila Buckley, Kevin R McNally (The Crown, Unforgotten) as Harold Wilson, Dorothy Atkinson (All Creatures Great and Small, Mum) as Betty Boothroyd and Igor Grabuzov (Voskresenskiy, No Looking Back).

Doc Martin will hang up his stethoscope for the final time.

Martin Clunes returns to Cornwall in the last series of the phenomenally successful ITV show Doc Martin to reprise his role as the nation's favourite grumpy surgeon.

Martin Clunes will play as Dr. Martin Ellingham, a brusque general practitioner with a blood phobia, in eight new episodes of the popular drama produced by Buffalo Pictures and set in the picturesque hamlet of Portwenn in Cornwall.

Buffalo Pictures has announced that a Christmas special will be produced to bid farewell to Doc Martin.

Picturesque Port Isaac provides the beautiful backdrop for the series, with all the regular members of the cast reprising their roles.

Caroline Catz plays Doc Martin's wife, Louisa Ellingham, who resigned from her job as headmistress at the local school to pursue a new career in child counselling.

Also returning for the finale are Dame Eileen Atkins who plays Doc Martin's formidable Aunt Ruth. Ian McNeice is back to play Bert Large, with Joe Absolom as his son Al. John Marquez is PC Joe Penhale, Jessica Ransom is the doctor's receptionist Morwenna Newcross and Selina Cadell is pharmacist Mrs Tishell.

After having his medical career scrutinised by the General Medical Council because of his blood fear, Doc opted to leave as Portwenn's GP at the end of the previous series.

The Doc makes efforts to conquer his anxiety in this final series, and begins to question whether resigning was the correct option. He and Louisa have recently welcomed a newborn daughter, Mary Elizabeth, who will be a sibling to James Henry, who is four years old.

Because Louisa is pursuing her new job as a child therapist at his former practise, the Doc is left holding the infant and mending clocks on the kitchen table. But does he really want to go back to his previous job?

Martin Clunes:

"I have loved going to Cornwall to make Doc Martin over the last 18 years, and I have looked forward to returning to this beautiful county this year for the tenth and final series. The people of Cornwall, and Port Isaac in particular, have always been so helpful to us when we are making the series. We have some great story lines for the new series, and for the Christmas special, which I hope Doc Martin fans will love. I shall miss Cornwall, and all the lovely people we have worked with. But it is the right time to say farewell to the Doc, and Portwenn."

REVIEW: The 355 Starring Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Fan Bingbing, Diane Kruger, and Lupita Nyong'o.

I know what we need, an action spy film that has a piece of technology that can hack any computer in the world, and people chase after it!

Possibly the most overused plot line in spy films, but alas that is what we have here.

The 355 is directed by Simon Kinberg and stars Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Fan Bingbing, Diane Kruger, and Lupita Nyong'o. The women play various international spies who end up having to work together to stop the outbreak of WW3, after a special decryption program is created by a drug lord in Colombia. This device can hack any system on the planet.

The device is put up for sale, CIA tries to buy it, various bad guys try to buy it, it gets swapped out, stolen, and you pretty much can imagine the rest.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/02/review-355-starring-jessica-chastain.html

Interview with Paul Hyett

Ahead of Horror Channel's UK TV Premiere of PERIPHERAL, director Paul Hyett talks about directorial ambitions, twisted technology, and why aliens aren't interested in us.

How did you become attached to Peripheral?

The producer Craig Touhy and I had been friends for a while and we'd nearly done another movie together. He'd liked the claustrophobia and tension of The Seasoning House so we met up to discuss Peripheral. When he pitched it to me, very much a low budget, contained movie, in one apartment. I must say I was a little hesitant. I wanted to broaden my directing and do bigger scope. Craig persuaded me to at least read it. I did and loved the script. The story, the character of Bobbi, of this writer blocked, being forced to adjust to what is wanted of her, and having to succumb to a technology that ultimately fucks her in so many ways and being forced to write for a corporation that she hates. It all felt so very relevant.

Was the cast already in place and what's it like directing legends such as Jenny Seagrove and Tom Conti?

No we cast from the ground up, Jenny Seagrove was the first cast, I was so happy we got her. She loved the script and the character of Merlock. She was an absolute joy, so professional, so excellent and willing to discuss everything

Full Interview at

http://www.mastersofhorror.co.uk/2022/02/interview-with-paul-hyett.html

REVIEW: WarHunt (2022) - Starring Mickey Rourke, Jackson Rathbone and Robert Knepper

The year is 1945, a US military cargo plane has lost control and crashed behind enemy lines, deep in a German forest.

Major Johnson (played by the always strange looking Mickey Rourke) decides to send in a squad of top soliders on a top secret resuce mission, but not to rescue the lost soldiers, but to rescue the secrets that the cargo plane was transporting.

Leading the squad is the always impressive Robert Knepper as Sergeant Brewer, and make no mistake, for most of this film, Knepper is the star. Along with Walsh (Jackson Rathbone), the squad travel deep into the forest to look for the crash site.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/02/review-warhunt-2022-starring-mickey.html

E4’s Celebrity Cooking School - "Celebrity" line up revealed

Kerry Katona, Toby Aromolaran, Stevo The Madman, Sam Thompson, Zeze Millz, Laura Tott, Maeva D'Ascanio, Shaun Ryder, Paul Chowdhry and Kim Woodburn are your "celebrities" for Celebrity Cooking School.

Melvin Odoom, the radio and TV personality, is ready to unleash a brand-new gastronomic feast on E4 and All 4, as ten self-proclaimed "horrendous" home cooks compete in a gourmet competition series unlike any other.

Celebrity Cooking School (w/t) (8X60') tests whether any of our celeb cooks can be turned around when schooled by one of the best in the culinary business. All that most of the celebs will know about food to start with is how to order it, but working solo and matched in pairs, an intensive cookery crash course will have them sweating it out in the kitchen, as they hilariously tackle a series of complex cooking challenges well beyond their ability – leading to chaos in the kitchen.

They'll need to master crucial cookery techniques and gain confidence if they're to be crowned 'Best in Class' at the end of the series.  But if they don't impress, they'll get an F for Fail and leave the school for good.

Michelin-starred chef Giorgio Locatelli, who believes he can teach anybody to cook, will train and judge the celebrities. Poppy O'Toole, a Michelin-trained chef and TikTok star, will be assisting him in his endeavour. Along with Poppy, Locatelli will not only be determining who remains and who goes, but he will also be teaching the stars how to prepare and present world-class cuisine. However, when the celebrities try their hardest to impress their teacher, it isn't long before he realises he has his work cut out for him with these celebrity chefs.

Coming to E4 and All 4 later in 2022.