The Independent Critic reviews 'Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts'...

Richard Propes of The Independent Critic has published a review of 'Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts' - and you can check it out HERE.

Directed by Barnes from a script by Nick Thomson, Ms. Green is a deliciously dark delight, a dramatic short with a comedic gleam in its eye and a film that carries with it the spirit of a gothic poet's heart. Koster's Green is an unusual sort, though I'm hesitant to ruin any of it for those may eventually see the entertaining short. Koster makes us rather love Ms. Green, though perhaps from a distance. She's seductively psychotic, a wee bit fractured and yet possesses a sweetness that makes her endearing. Koster makes all of this believable and rather fun to watch.

Lensing by Will Middleton and Aaron Whitehead is effective throughout, and Veronika Koubova deserves immense credit for editing that makes Ms. Green work despite its slight 15-minute running time and an undeniable desire to spend more time with these characters. 

You can follow the film's progress on Facebook, visit the Oakhill Productions website, and visit the film's IMDb page.

Jason Goes To Hell (Adam Marcus, 1993) Review

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“I don't think so.” What does an audience want from a Friday the 13^th movie? Not too much, for we're not a particularly demanding bunch when it comes to the machete-wielding franchise – Jason Voorhees in his iconic hockey mask hacking up some campers with style and verve will do nicely, thank you: real meat and potatoes stuff. It shouldn't be difficult to not fuck that up, right? … Right?!...

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Indie Shorts Mag review of 'Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts'...

Another great review of our short film Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts, this time from Indie Shorts Mag. Check out their full review HERE.

"Green is the undeniable backbone of the whole affair (puppet Dziga may be the femora). She makes Elnora a particularly enjoyable heroine. Elnora is sweet-spoken and snarky, earnest and sarcastic. Patient. Secretly furious. And borderline psychopathic. The insanity is painted delicious, a tongue-in-cheek approach that transfers to other comedic moments, like a swish pan back and forth between Elnora and Dziga. For Elnora and Parker, the tone is softer than fluffy clouds, even as they share in the task of skinning a dead animal."

You can follow the film's progress on Facebook and visit the Oakhill Productions website.

Trailer #2 for 'Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts'...

Check out the new trailer for our short film "Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts" below...

This trailer takes on a more quirky, romantic vibe, angling towards some of the other shades to the complex protagonist Elnora Green, played by Lauren Koster.

You can follow the film's progress on Facebook and visit the Oakhill Productions website.

Storyboards vs Finished Product: 'Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts'...

The storyboards for Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts were made by Mike Cosford (visit his website HERE), with whom we had worked with before on For Want Of A Nail. Fun fact: on FWOAN, some of the storyboards depicting the protagonists had a striking resemblance to the actors that played the parts - before they had even been cast! However, this time around we already had our cast in-place, so there was no magical precognition (as far as we know, anyway!)

Here are a few comparisons between Mike's storyboards and snapshots of the finished film.

The main opening of the film takes place inside a fantasy world in Elnora's mind, brought to life as if a scene from a Universal Monster Movie from the 1930s and 40s. Tilting down from the naked branches of December trees and tracking forward, we come to find Elnora isolated and (seemingly) talking to herself ... but she's not really alone. The bottom of the garden at producer Ali's mother's house was transformed into the outskirts of a rural cemetery for this scene...

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Dolly the Pug: Scene Stealer of 'Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts'...

Dziga II, the pug sidekick of Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts protagonist Elnora Green, was portrayed in the film in two different ways: the first was how Elnora sees Dziga (as a children's TV show puppet that talks with a Scottish accent, articulating her innermost thoughts and desires, bringing some semblance of clarity to her own confusion in the curious world of Celebrityville), and the second was as everyone else sees Dziga - as a real-life pug dog.

We found Dolly the pug through one of our actor's family members, and our Art Director Olivia was able to then hand-craft the puppet version to match Dolly. Bearing in-mind that we'd be working with a real animal, and one that wasn't a professional in the industry, I made sure to write her scene in such a way that it required nothing too complicated from Dolly - just a few choice shots to get the point across about how different people actually saw the character of Dziga II...

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Behind the Camera: 'Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts' #2...

Time for some more glimpses behind-the-scenes of our new short film, the weirdly romantic horror comedy Ms Green and Other Lovely Beasts...

Richard Coppen at Panther Studios in Reigate supported us with ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) on our short film. ADR is when actors re-record dialogue in the studio to make every word crystal clear. On Ms Green, our actors jumped back in to perfect lines and capture every subtle emotion: including bringing puppet pug Dziga to life! Richard's skill, patience, and good humor make every session effortless. He doesn’t just run a studio, he makes sound sing.

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Behind the Camera: 'Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts' #1...

It takes a whole village to make a film, so to speak, so here's a few of those involved in bringing our film Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts to life.

Lu is an accomplished director and producer with experience shaping storytelling for theatre, film, games, and VFX. Specializing in creative production, performance capture, and actor direction. She brings scripts to life through emotionally resonant performances and visually compelling scenes. Inspired by a strong foundation in theatre, Lu infuses a distinctive theatrical quality into the visual and cinematic style of her work, creating bold, immersive experiences that captivate audiences.

"From the moment I read Ms Green, I knew I wanted to bring Nick’s vision to life. The script’s blend of dark subject matter with a distinctive quirkiness and humour is something only Nick could achieve, and it immediately resonated with me. I had a clear sense of how Elnora should be portrayed and how I wanted audiences to connect with her. This project was made possible by an exceptional cast and crew, whose talent and dedication helped bring my vision, alongside Nick’s and Ali’s, to the screen. It was truly a collaborative effort, and I am immensely proud of what the team has accomplished."

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UK Film Review on 'Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts'...

Check out the first review of Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts (watch the trailer) from William Curzon of UK Film Review HERE.

"It's truly a testament to the filmmakers' sheer ambitious filmmaking techniques and the excellent performances that make the more absurd elements work. Thankfully, most of the gags land tremendously, and the brief romantic aspects incorporated into the screenplay feel endearing."

You can follow the film's progress on Facebook and visit the Oakhill Productions website.

Take 2 Indie Review of 'Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts'...

Check out the first review of Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts (watch the trailer) from Mark Lakatos of Take 2 Indie Review HERE.

"Taking the grim compulsions of its titular taxidermist to entertaining heights, Ms. Green and Other Lovely Beasts is a potent one-two punch of wacky and lurid storytelling."

You can follow the film's progress on Facebook and visit the Oakhill Productions website.

Ms Green and Other Lovely Beasts: Character Introduction 4B...

A puppet pug! What more could you want? In the short film Ms Green and Other Lovely Beasts (watch the trailer HERE), the inner workings of Elnora Green's curious mind have produced this version of Dizga II, her faithful and dirty-minded companion.

 

The puppet version of Dziga II was created from scratch by the amazing Olivia Venables to match the character's live action counterpart Dolly, and puppeteered by Alfie Walton (who gamely rose to the task after being drafted-in to the role at the last minute). Currently studying Film and Media at the BRIT School, Alfie has already worked with Apple TV and, most recently, Disney. Now the host and producer of Alfie’s Manic Mondays, Alfie’s fast mouth, sharp instincts and undeniable charm suggest one thing: the gift of the gab is alive and well.

 

The final piece of the puzzle in bringing Dziga II to life was his voice, performed by Clark Alexander, the lead actor in Oakhill Productions' award-winning short film For Want Of A Nail (watch the film HERE). A professional actor with a serious Shakespeare habit, Clark has spent years performing and touring classic works, most recently completing an international tour of Macbeth and Romeo & Juliet.

 

You can follow the film's progress on Facebook and visit the Oakhill Productions website.

Ms Green and Other Lovely Beasts: Character Introduction #4A...

Dolly the pug plays the real-life version of Dziga II in Ms Green and Other Lovely Beasts (watch the trailer HERE). Dziga II is the cute, fuzzy, and ever-so-opinionated pug that plays the role of Elnora's spirit animal and her first serious emotional connection in life. Elnora 'gets' Dziga, and Dziga 'gets' Elnora.

He is her loyal and loving muse, her ever-so-special little guy ... and he's a puppet that talks with a Scottish accent. To her at least, because to everyone else Dziga just looks like any other pug dog, but to Elnora he's a life coach as well as an expression of her jumbled thoughts and unspoken desires.

Dziga was brought to life brilliantly by Dolly the Pug. Although Dolly is sadly no longer with us, her cheeky spirit lives on — the very best girl to embody the delightfully dirty-minded Dizga II.

You can follow the film's progress on Facebook and visit the Oakhill Productions website.

Ms Green and Other Lovely Beasts: Character Introduction #3...

Mark Keegan performs the role of Ed Gein, aka The Butcher of Plainfield, in Ms Green and Other Lovely Beasts (watch the trailer HERE). In the film, Gein plays the role of Elnora's first discovery in the dark world of serial killer history during her time as a lonely teenager, and this ghoulish figure of true crime mythology became her first obsession.

Akin to an imaginary friend, brought to life within the fantasy world inside her mind, Ed is a mixture of confidant and celebrity icon. He is an expression of the deepest and darkest thoughts, fears, and desires that lurk in the shadows of Elnora's mind. Like the bad influence of an addiction, which seized hold of Elnora's tumultuous psyche in her formative years, Ed is the finger pressing down on the bad side of the scale.

Mark Keegan has  been an actor since the age of 10, but left it until 53 to turn professional! TV credits include The Windsors (Ch4/ Netflix); theatre credits include a 2-year run as Virgil in 'Past Tents' (which won the Best Comedy 2024 award by London Pub Theatres Guild) and as Diamond Dave/ Uncle Kev in Instanbul, which had a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe; as well as appearing in numerous films across the past 10 years.

You can follow the film's progress on Facebook and visit the Oakhill Productions website.

Ms Green and Other Lovely Beasts: Character Introduction #2...

Parker Flynn, performed by Rohan Singh, is the co-star of Ms Green and Other Lovely Beasts (watch the trailer HERE), and he is an enigmatic, fiercely ambitious taxidermist, celebrated in certain circles as the “New Taxidermist to the Stars.” Brilliant but restless, he works in a fringe medium that many find unsettling, and he is driven as much by a need to prove his worth as by the lure of recognition.

In Elnora, he finds a kindred spirit—someone equally unafraid of the unusual, whose curiosity validates his art and his ambitions. As he navigates the seductive worlds of social media fame and adoring attention, Parker wrestles with a tension between vulnerability and persona, craving admiration while quietly fearing exposure. With Elnora, the promise of connection and acclaim is intoxicating—but it may demand more than he is ready to give.

With a magnetic and precise screen presence, Rohan Singh stars as Parker Flynn. Rohan is a RADA and BRIT School–trained actor, and brings effortless allure and intelligence to the role, revealing the profound in the everyday, marking him as a distinctive new talent.

You can follow the film's progress on Facebook and visit the Oakhill Productions website.

Ms Green and Other Lovely Beasts: Character Introduction #1...

Elnora Green, performed by Lauren Koster, is the main character in Ms Green and Other Lovely Beasts (watch the trailer HERE), and she is a misfit’s misfit, suspended between childlike wonder and sharp cynicism. Gentle yet feral, she watches the world with the wary curiosity of a young wolf. A romantic and visual artist, she creates post-mortem pet portraits and offers pre-mortem pet therapy—work that blurs care, ritual, and control.

Beneath her delicate exterior, Elnora is drawn to the darker edges of the human psyche, fascinated by the impulses people hide and the secrets they carry. Shaped by loss, neglect, and isolation, she navigates life from the margins, searching for connection while quietly exploring the fragile, often unsettling balance between love and power.

Lauren Koster is an English, Irish and Burmese actor and writer. Her credits include The Crown (season 6) and Camp Siegfried at The Old Vic, marking her West End debut. She also stars in Ms Green and Other Lovely Beasts, citing her collaboration with a delightfully dirty-minded pug puppet as a career highlight.

You can follow the film's progress on Facebook and visit the Oakhill Productions website.

Space Cop (Jay Bauman & Mike Stoklasa, 2016) Review

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“Ugh, he'll be fine. I accidentally set my gun to stun.” Years in-the-making by a band of fan favourite B-movie reviewers from the Internet, sci-fi comedy Space Cop has turned into something of a punching bag by its own creators, but is that a fair assessment?...

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8MM (Joel Schumacher, 1999) Review

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“Not many people have been inside this room.” When a wealthy industrialist dies, his widow discovers a disturbing reel of 8mm film, so she employs a Private Investigator to verify if it's real or fake. Plunged into a downward spiral of depravity, this movie takes the viewer on a Grimm fairytale set during the dying days of the 20^th Century just before the World Wide Web was able to spread unlimited perversions on a grand scale...

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Eviscerating Middle Class Comfort: David Cronenberg's Rabid and the City of Montreal

by Nick Thomson © 2024

N.B. The following is an updated version of an essay that I wrote in April 2005, titled “Tearing Apart Stuffy, Middle Class Comfort: David Cronenberg's Rabid and the City of Montreal”, for a third year course called 'Canadian & Québecois Cinema', during my degree in Film & Television Studies at the University of East Anglia.

Do also note that the following contains SPOILERS for the films discussed.

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David Cronenberg's second full-length feature film Rabid (1976) became a conspicuous financial success, emerging “unexpectedly from a country at best in the twilight zone of film-consciousness”ⁱ focusing on a “disease-driven apocalyptic revolution”ⁱⁱ set in the city of Montreal, in the Canadian province of Québec. The film centres on Rose (Marilyn Chambers), who suffers severe injuries after being involved in a motorcycle crash on a lonely country road with her boyfriend Hart (Frank Moore). She is whisked away to the nearby Keloid Clinic – a private health centre for plastic surgery – where the opportunistic Dr Keloid (Howard Ryshpan) uses her as his guinea pig. Cronenberg's disparaging reaction to institutional life is central to his films, most potently in his early works, from the Somafree Institute in The Brood (1979) to Consec in Scanners (1981) and Spectacular Optical in Videodrome (1983), in which they all lead towards disease, trauma, and death.

Foreseeing present day skin graft and stem cell techniques, Cronenberg introduces the viewer to 'neutral field tissue', which has the ability to rebuild damaged flesh and conform itself according to the characteristics of its new locale on the human body; this is a continuation of a thought process started in 1975 with Shivers. In that film, within the Starliner Tower (an apartment complex on the outskirts of Montreal, designed to house every consumer need) a parasite has been developed, intended to replicate human organs, but which instead turns the host into a sex-crazed lunatic intent on only three things: lust, murder, and the spreading of their disease. The final shot of the film sees the contaminated inhabitants of this secluded, stylish, and modern community heading off to corrupt the rest of the world, an infection aimed outwards by comparison to the inward spread of disinhibition and social collapse witnessed in J.G. Ballard's novel High Rise, also released in 1975; Cronenberg would adapt Ballard's 1973 novel Crash to much controversy in 1996. Building on this shared fascination, Rabid continues Cronenberg's critique on a progressive society by subtly undermining comfortable middle-class idleness as a predatory civilisation obsessed with cosmetic surgery...

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Exacerbated Adolescence: The Heterosexual Male Bond in 'Swingers' and 'Shaun of the Dead'

by Nick Thomson © 2024

N.B. The following is a tweaked version of an essay that I wrote in November 2004, titled “From the idealised homosociality of Swingers to the problematic male bond in Shaun of the Dead”, for a third year course called 'Gender & Genre in Contemporary Cinema', during my BA degree in Film & Television Studies at the University of East Anglia. Considering that 2024 marks the 20^th anniversary of Shaun of the Dead, I figured it was worth revisiting.

Do also note that the following contains SPOILERS for the films discussed.

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“For boys, the male gang is more important than one-on-one friendship, but the gang members require little closeness and rely on their abilities for membership”ⁱ. This essay will explore the idea of homosociality – or male friendship – as it is represented in film; most specifically in Swingers (Doug Liman, 1996) and Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004). The former is an American film, part of what could be called the 'friendship movie' or 'hang out' genre, while the latter, a British film, was sold as a 'rom-zom-com' (romantic zombie comedy), underneath which lies a potent subplot concerning male bonding.

Both films depict homosocial behaviour differently, yet also similarly. As Wyatt explains, gay male friendship is more inclusive of emotional intimacy, unlike the typical heterosexual counterpart; there has been a softening of this exclusivity in the past twenty years, but broadly speaking the status quo remains. The very idea of homosociality, of the male bond, denotes at least a certain level of intimacy shared between straight men – indeed, as Wyatt notes in his title, this 'straight intimacy' can be interpreted as “queerness”. However, to analyse these films, we must first consider what 'homosociality' means...

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V/H/S/85 (2023) review...

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The V/H/S portmanteau horror anthology franchise has been a mixed bag from its inception, but this inherently goes with the territory. The first film, from 2012, was a bold but flawed beginning that was clearly one story too long and, most egregiously, suffered from featuring numerous characters who were outright wretched to spend any time with. The 2013 follow-up clocked in at an agreeably brisk 92 minutes, balanced the tone and characters, and explored a nice variety of ideas, styles, and approaches to the set-up. Sadly, 2014's V/H/S/Viral was thoroughly misguided, at times appearing embarrassingly cheap and sloppy, while also featuring mostly uninspiring tales.

Fast forward to 2021 and horror streaming service Shudder co-produced and distributed V/H/S/94, which proved to be a return to form and an impressive doubling-down on the 'vhs style'. It had some weak aspects, but it's strengths outnumbered its weaknesses. Hopes were high, then, for 2022's V/H/S/99, which absolutely dropped the ball. Aside from one segment ("Suicide Bid"), the film was a mess of miss opportunities, half-baked ideas (some of which didn't fit the format or franchise tone whatsoever), aggressive amounts of shaky-cam, and poorly-placed humour.

Nonetheless, V/H/S/99 was a ratings hit, but this was no doubt built more on the achievements of its immediate predecessor that it's own content, as born out by numerous reactions from the audience. Approaching V/H/S/85, therefore, came with some serious concern that the wrong lessons would be learned from V/H/S/99's success. Thankfully, V/H/S/85 feels more in-keeping with the first two entries in the franchise as well as V/H/S/94...

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