Nigel & George introduce a brand new review segment this week as they open the floor to filmmakers to discuss some of their favourite short films. Nigel interviews director and NFTS alum Misha Vertkin, director of supernatural thriller and period drama The Healer. Misha provides insight on his extraordinary film that touches on topics such as mental health, masculinity and perceptions of strength and weakness. Misha also gives us his thoughts on his short film pick, the domestic fantasy drama He Took His Skin Off For Me from director Ben Aston.

 

As always Nigel and George weigh in on both films, sharing their insights and providing updates as to new developments on the Cameo Launch platform. Listen and enjoy!

Click the link to read our review of The Healer and watch the movie.

 

Click to watch The Healer by Misha Vertkin. See more from Misha Vertkin on Vimeo and at https://www.misha-vertkin.com/. You can also follow Misha on Instagram and Twitter. 

  

Click to watch He Took His Skin Off For Me by Ben Aston.

Check out Ben’s work at http://benastondirector.com/ and on Vimeo. You can also follow Ben on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

Nigel and George return to the weird and wonderful world of writer/director Eros Vlahos as they review his Ibiza-set lost memory comedy adventure Tortilla. They also explore a fascinating tale of trauma, connection and forgiveness in their review of writer/director Audrey Gagneux's Lily Meets Charlie.

Topics of discussion also cover the steep rise in subscriptions to streaming services amid the Coronavirus lockdown, including such as MUBI and Curzon Home Cinema and what this could mean for independent and arthouse cinemas as they begin to re-open.

Check out the links to our reviews and topic sources for additional info:

Netflix 16 Million New Sign Ups (BBC)   

Netflix 10 Million Subscribers in Q2 of 2020 (Subscription Insider)

1-in-5 UK Homes Sign Up For New Service in Lockdown (Kantar)

Surge in TV Viewing & Streaming in UK (IBC)

Subscriber Increase for MUBI, Curzon Home Cinema & BFI Player (Screendaily)

90 Days of Free MUBI with Plymouth Arts Cinema, Saffron Screen and Film Bath.

This week, Nigel and George get into the changing face of what qualifies as a box office hit in the age of Coronavirus and following the release of Christopher Nolan's Tenet. They also discuss what kind of films are likely to be greenlit given the diminished consumer capacity for films at the cinema.

The short film reviews also cover two very different approaches to sci-fi. The first is time-travel comedy CTRL Z by writer/director James Kennedy, which sees a lovesick inventor create a device that allows him to reset time, giving him an infinite amount of chances to impress his dream girl.

The second short is taken from the Love, Death and Robots anthology, currently available on Netflix. Beyond The Aquila Rift follows the crew of a ship who awaken to the realisation that they are way off course, but the revelations do not stop there.

Jump into the Cameo Launch take on these two fantastic films!

Read our review for CTRL Z here.

Read our review for Love, Death & Robots: Beyond The Aquila Rift here.

Take a look at the breakdown of Christopher Nolan's box office history (via the-numbers.com).

You can also take a look at Tenet's box office performance (via Box Office Mojo).

This week Nigel and George talk about the overturning of the Paramount Decree in the United States, a move that could lead to the big studios monopolising the space at large and small cinemas alike as well as threatening the smaller distributors and independent film.

Our duo also review two great British short films, Our Lad from director Rachna Suri and Haircut from director Koby Adom. Both tackle cultural challenges of contemporary Britain in very different ways with Our Lad delving into the conflict between being a Muslim and serving in the British armed forces in Afghanistan. Meanwhile Haircut focuses on community, unrealised ambitions and the past coming back to haunt you.

You can read our reviews and find more info on the topics we discuss in the links below.

Our Lad Review

Haircut Review

Paramount Decree Overturned - Hollywood Reporter

Why The End of The Paramount Decree is Bad for Movie and Theatres - Entertainment Weekly

In this week's episode we discuss the tragic passing of the late, great Chadwick Boseman and the incredible legacy he has left over the course of an all too short career. We also review the coming of age crime thriller Bandito and sci-fi high concept drama Would You Like To Try again?

Follow the links to read our reviews for Bandito and Would You Like To Try Again?

As always you can head to our Reviews page to check out all of the short films that we showcase and please don't forget to subscribe for notifications of more podcast episodes.

In honour of Chadwick Boseman, you can also see the tribute to him from Marvel Studios here.

Nigel and George get on board director Josh Tanner's UFO thriller The Landing and take a peek through The Neighbors' Window, the Oscar-winning short drama from director Marshall Curry.

They also talk staggered release dates for Christopher Nolan's Tenet and financial support from the UK government to the film industry in an effort to kick start film and TV production in the UK.

Read the reviews to our films using the links below:

The Landing - https://www.cameolaunch.com/post/review-the-landing

The Neighbors' Window - https://www.cameolaunch.com/post/review-the-neighbor-s-window

Are you a filmmaker looking for a platform to promote your short film? Head over to FilmFreeway to submit your film for consideration in our review line-up!

Click the links below to get more info on the stories discussed in this episode:

UK Government Launches Emergency Covid Fund - https://deadline.com/2020/07/uk-government-announces-emergency-film-tv-insurance-fund-1202996757/

Tenet to Release Internationally Ahead of US Debut - https://variety.com/2020/film/box-office/tenet-release-date-international-movie-theaters-1234717187/

This week Nigel & George discuss further restrictions being implemented in the United States as Coronavirus cases continue to rise following a brief period of decline.

The extension of certain lockdown measures could further impact the release of already delayed Hollywood films prompting  the question as to why British film fails to dominate or even adequately compete in British cinema, even in the face of reduced competition.

They also share their thoughts on two very creative pieces of comedy; the horror/comedy Right Place, Wrong Tim from writer/director Eros Vlahos (Double Tap) and In The Time It Takes To Get There from writer/director and Scrubs star Zach Braff.

Have a listen and enjoy!

In the podcast we go into the UK box office performance of the Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything. You can see the numbers here.

We also discuss the popularity of the UK as a filming location for Hollywood films. You can find some data on that here.

We touch on our resident video wizard George Mole's 15 minutes of fame courtesy of the BBC and a very innovative (and successful) video application. To catch a glimpse of the story (and an interesting insight into changing trends in recruitment) please follow the link.

This week, Nigel and George talk financial support for the arts from the government and the potentially bleak future of small venues for emerging artists.

They also share their thoughts in this week's short film reviews on period thriller/drama Guest of Honor from writer/director Justin Robinson and the emotional dilemma drama Runaway from writer/director Tom Ruddock.

BBC - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53304721

Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/jul/06/governments-157bn-uk-emergency-arts-fund-too-late-for-many

Enterprise Nation - https://www.enterprisenation.com/learn-something/government-unveils-funding-for-uk-arts-sector/

Writer and director Alexander Thomas joins Nigel Morgan to discuss the cultural relevance of the era depicted in his period racial drama Beverley. Broaching issues such as the two-tone movement, skinhead culture and national and cultural identity, Alexander Thomas takes us through a fascinating period of contemporary British history and its relevance to the current social and political climate.

Nigel and George Mole also review this film as well as touching on the resurgence of Coronavirus in the UK and US and the resulting impact on cinema and the performing arts.

You can read the review for Beverley and watch the film here - https://www.cameolaunch.com/post/review-beverley

This week Nigel and George discuss changing movie release dates, including the postponement of Christopher Nolan's Tenet along with plans for re-opening cinemas including Cineworld's social distancing plans.

Nigel and George also cover two dark comedy short films in their review section. The Grey Matter, which tells the story of an office romance amid the outbreak of a potential zombie apocalypse, while A Reasonable Request tells the story of an estranged father and son brought back together for the greatest opportunity (or greatest mistake) of their lives.

Read our review for both movies using the links below:

The Grey Matter - https://www.cameolaunch.com/post/review-the-grey-matter

A Reasonable Request - https://www.cameolaunch.com/post/review-a-reasonable-request

News Related Links:

IGN - Tenet: Christopher Nolan Reportedly Pushed For Release Date - https://www.ign.com/articles/tenet-christopher-nolan-reportedly-pushed-for-july-release-date-studio-wanted-to-postpone

Cineworld - Re-opening Plans - https://www.cineworld.co.uk/static/en/uk/blog/cineworld-cinemas-reopening-safety-measures-coronavirus-covid-19