Dealing with plot inconsistencies as well as pests in “Alien: Night Shift”
Aidan Michael Brezonick, “Alien: Night Shift” (2019; extended version 2020) Not one of the better films out of the batch of six made in 2019 to…
Horror
A good setting and cast but weak growth in “Alien: Harvest”
Benjamin Howdeshell, “Alien: Harvest” (2019) It had stunning CGI visuals, a scary setting in a failing spaceship, a willing cast and a lot of tension ……
Haunted (green) house horror plot with a twist in “Alien: Specimen”
Kelsey Taylor, “Alien: Specimen” (2019)A suspenseful little short, more haunted-house horror than sci-fi, “… Specimen” gets points from me for using its setting, cinematography and especially…
Too many Alien references contained in “Alien: Containment”
Chris Reading, “Alien: Containment” (2019) For me, this nine-minute work was a rushed piece that crammed perhaps too many references to Ridley Scott’s original “Alien” and…
A darkly comic and tender story of love and companionship in “Alien: Alone”
Noah Miller, “Alien: Alone” (2019) After seeing all six short films made in 2019 to mark the 40th anniversary of the cinematic release of Ridley Scott’s…
Worker solidarity to save the day and a mining colony in “Alien: Ore”
Kailey and Sam Spear, “Alien: Ore” (2019) To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror film “Alien”, the film production company 20th Century Fox…
Watership Down: exploring political freedom in the form of a foundation myth
Martin Rosen, John Hubley, “Watership Down” (1978) A vivid and beautifully presented tale, this British film portrays what might be a foundation myth of an imaginary…
Vampires in Greek Myth: an introduction to a universal cultural phenomenon through the Ancient Greek worldview
Dr Garrett Ryan, “Vampires in Greek Myth” (Told In Stone, 30 October 2021) Casting our fears regarding death and women who might be less than ideal…
Murder on the Orient Express (dir. Sidney Lumet): a pedestrian treatment of a murder mystery
Sidney Lumet, “Murder on the Orient Express” (1974) Initially beginning as a lavish drama set in an exotic 1930s Istanbul, Sidney Lumet’s “Murder on the Orient…
The Destruction of Laos: casting light on a shameful aspect of the Vietnam War
Carlton Meyer, “The Destruction of Laos” (Tales of the American Empire, 15 October 2021) Many people know that the Vietnam War dragged Cambodia into its horrors…