Movie Review

Feature Movie Review: Surge of Power: Where There’s Smoke

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Directed by Vincent J. Roth, Jeff Rector, Mario DeAngelis

Enjoy the latest installment of the “Surge of Power” indie superhero movie franchise known for having lots of celebrities from the sci-fi and superhero genres! “Where There’s Smoke” follows Surge as he teams up with guest superhero, The Smoke (former pro wrestler Eric Moran), as they uncover a mysterious plot of the villain group called The Council. Who is Falling Apple, struggling with childhood trauma and abuse, out for revenge over her father’s murder, and what is her role in The Council’s evil scheme?

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Review by Parker Jesse Chase:

Surge of Power: Where There’s Smoke brings a fresh outlook to the superhero genre, breaking away from the traditional Marvel/DC universe mold, while still honoring comic book legacies of the past. With special guest appearances from iconic characters, while introducing its own story, the film delivers a thrilling and campy take on superhero storytelling.


At its core, Surge of Power presents a compelling villain origin story. The narrative kicks off with our antagonist’s tragic backstory, an incident gone wrong that sets her on a path of revenge. As the story fast-forwards to the present, she aligns with more formidable forces, creating chaos and destruction. Her vendetta puts our heroes in an intense battle, blurring the lines between allegiance and morality. The confusion over who stands on which side adds an interesting layer to the conflict.


The film’s world-building is commendable. The costuming is well-crafted, seamlessly blending into the universe the film creates. The visual effects are executed effectively, though there’s something slightly off preventing a full immersion into this world. The film’s “weapons of mass destruction” lean into a cartoonish aesthetic, adding a layer of satire to the otherwise high-stakes battles. The action sequences are dramatic, pushing our heroes to their limits. However, as superhero stories often remind us, where there’s a will, there’s a way.


As the story progresses, an unexpected twist adds emotional depth—one of the heroes harbors feelings for the antagonist. His belief that she isn’t inherently evil, but rather manipulated by grief and pain is a compelling narrative thread. Her motivation, rooted in the loss of her family, makes her a sympathetic character rather than a straightforward villain. The reveal strengthens the emotional stakes, showing how pain can be exploited by larger forces with darker agendas.

One of the most poignant moments in the film comes from a mage-like character who foresees catastrophe and pays the ultimate price. Their death underscores the urgency of stopping the impending devastation, leading to a climactic final act where the heroes rally together. In a nail-biting finish, they manage to thwart disaster at the last possible moment.


The film’s use of a necklace as a central narrative device is a smart touch, linking past and present in a meaningful way. The audience is reminded of the young girl from the opening scenes, reinforcing the emotional weight of the antagonist’s journey.


Beyond its action-packed sequences, Surge of Power is packed with self-aware humor and satirical nods to the genre. It embraces camp, delivering sharp dialogue and playful meta-commentary reminiscent of Deadpool. Lines like “Who are we, Suicide Squad?” nearly break the fourth wall, adding to the film’s charm. Structurally, it tells a story within a story, offering a layered experience that acknowledges its comic book roots while modernizing its narrative approach.


Visually, the film is striking, with well-designed locations that add to the cinematic spectacle. The soundtrack complements the film’s tone, providing an uplifting and engaging backdrop to the unfolding events. While tackling serious and emotional themes, Surge of Power maintains a balance, presenting complex ideas in an entertaining and palatable way.

Short Film Review: SHADOWS IN THE PARK. Directed by Valerie DuPree

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Two sisters venture deep into the woods…only one senses something watching. Fear twists into betrayal. Will they survive?

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Review by Parker Jesse Chase:

A chilling tale of childhood fear and the unknown, Shadows in the Park follows two sisters on an eerie venture into the forest, where only one senses an ominous presence lurking beyond the trees. The film weaves tension through its atmospheric sound design, autumnal color grading, and the simple yet unsettling premise of what happens when fear twists into something deeper—perhaps even betrayal.


From the opening frames, the melody hints something is amiss. The warm hues of the fall season contrast with the creeping unease introduced by the sound design, creating a dissonance keeping the audience on edge. As golden hour fades, so does the illusion of safety.

When the younger sibling questions if they should even be out this late, Ellie, the older sister, dismisses her fears with a teasing remark: “Yeah, because the trees are about to get us.” It’s playful, but the film’s careful pacing suggests otherwise—something is about to happen.

The tension escalates as the girls push deeper into the woods, ignoring the younger sister’s growing unease. The whispers start—a faint but chilling intrusion. Suddenly, Ellie is gone, and Alice is left alone, ripped by terror. Her fear isn’t just about what might be lurking—it’s the frustration of not being believed.

The sisters’ dynamic, from teasing to desperation, adds a layer of emotional depth beyond the typical horror trope. Are they simply scaring themselves, or is something truly out there?


The film’s biggest strength is its restraint. It never fully confirms what haunts the park, instead leaving the audience with an open-ended question—was there really something watching them?

Or was it just the tricks of the mind in the isolating vastness of nature? Shadows in the Park thrives in ambiguity, proving that sometimes, the most unsettling horror lies in what remains unseen.

Short Film Review: MY BLOCK MY HERO. Directed by Gina D’Onofrio

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Jahmal Cole is the founder of My Block My Hood My City, a Chicago-based non-profit with a mission to inspire youth and empower local communities. He has been shot twice in his day-to-day life, an unfortunate reality that the teenagers and communities he has dedicated the organization to uplifting face on a daily basis in the murder capital of the United States. By leading community-driven efforts, Cole has made it his goal to build a better world one block at a time, while positively impacting the lives of the teens who grow up there. Through the Explorers program, My Block My Hood My City enables youth from Chicago’s divested neighborhoods to discover the world beyond their blocks, by taking them on enriching experiences across the city and the country that open the doors to new possibilities. In their latest adventure, the Explorers went behind the scenes at the Shedd Aquarium to learn how researchers are working to preserve the world’s endangered coral reefs.

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Review by Andie Karvelis

Chicago resident Jahmal Cole is one of those people who naturally inspires others. Just listening to him speak draws you in and the wisdom in his outlook makes you realize that you too can help ignite change for the better. Jahmal is the CEO and Founder of My Block, My Hood, My City and this non-profit is shaping young lives by giving them the knowledge and resources they desperately need.


This documentary was directed by Gina D’Onofrio, who did such a wonderful job weaving not only Jahmal’s story, but the story of what My Block, My Hood, My City is and how impactful it is to the community. A fantastic blend of interviews, photos and videos paint an inspiring picture of a man’s resilience to help his community and form a team of like minded individuals who care about Chicago’s children.


The cinematography and sound design was stunning thanks to Doug Shee and David Camargo. The addition of the uplifting score really added to the emotion running through this. Jahmal is living proof that it only takes one person to start a change and more people will follow until you have a beautiful organization that’s making a massive difference in so many lives.

Short Film Review: DRAWN TOGETHER, TORN APART. Directed by Kaden Cooper

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In this whimsical tale, a young artist’s fantasy becomes reality when he awakens to find the girl from his sketch has come to life. As he marvels at this miraculous creation, a sudden gust of wind snatches away the drawing, causing his dream girl to vanish as quickly as she appeared. They are drawn together and torn apart.

Review by Julie Sheppard;

Drawn Together, Torn Apart, a stirring romantic short reveals how an artist’s rendering materializes into reality. The performer playing the artist does a fabulous job showing both earnestness and expectation, as does the young woman playing the object of desire, whose performance is both delicate and sweet. 

The settings in which the two of them find themselves are fitting for their burgeoning young love, notably in the artist’s bedroom/art studio (where his dreams begin) and walks outside on a summer night in front of fireworks and graceful palm trees. The slow build of the soundtrack — with soulful piano, synth and tinkling notes — serves the rather magical tone of the film. The cinematography is quite sophisticated with the use of extreme close-up shots of sketches and enamoured eyes, in addition to the brilliant fade convention at the end. 

This film is a testament to the blur between art and life. It is the heartbreaking action of the artist’s rendering of his fantasy lover that moves him from dream to reality and back to dream again.

Short Film Review: Birthday Blues. Directed by Elisabet Johannesdottir

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A couple on the rocks struggles with honesty, leading the woman to make a fateful decision.

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Review by Victoria Angelique:

The happiness of what should be a happy day is ruined in the short film BIRTHDAY BLUES. This very tense film depicts a moment between a husband and wife that are near the end of their relationship. It’s made in a way that even makes the audience tense, wanting to look away from this fight as if it’s being done in public though the couple are in the privacy of their home. 

The cinematography is shot in a way that adds to the tension, coupled with the fact that there is no score. There are long shots that don’t cut, following the actors as the tension builds up between them. The cuts become quick as the fight heats up, making it come across the screen to the viewer. 

The story is one that is quite common across the world. A wife that is married to a narcissistic man that only puts on the appearance of thinking about her. The moment she walks in the door, he makes fun of her for liking ice cream cakes as he presents her with his favorite cake. He continues to attack her, stating fictitious reasons that she would be a horrible mother simply because he does not want to be a father. His wife can do nothing right and when she calls him out on his behavior, he gaslights her by blaming his dark sense of humor. 

This very tense film shows how a self centered person can ruin something as joyous as a birthday. It can quickly destroy a person when their significant other is the one destroying their self worth. This is depicted expertly as the husband is the type of person that everyone should run from, someone that will never change and cannot stand when anyone else has a day to celebrate themselves. It’s very well done. 

Feature Film Review: SHUCKS. Directed by Ty Brueilly

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A slow burning and silent eerie tale about escaping followed by personal transformations, addiction, programed human nature and the primal urges of evolved creature comforts through a macabre metaphorical manufacturing process. Written, Directed and Scored by Ty Bru. Starring Austin Rich.

Review by Andie Karvelis:

Writer, Director and Composer Ty Bru has a specific vision with Shucks. This
experimental/horror/music video is definitely a journey into the macabre. Shot entirely in black
and white helped give the film that eerie quality of being in the middle of nowhere. Choosing to
make this a silent film also lent itself to a “story” that could constantly metamorphosize and not
fall into one genre.


Musically this film was just as diverse. The score at times reflected an ominous tone and slowed
down to build the suspense and then dramatically switched to an uptempo almost rave quality
which constantly kept you guessing. The props were done with utmost care and had a really
cool yet sinister look to them, especially when they were utilized in conjunction with the
flickering television.


The creativity with camera work and angles, especially with the shots that were indoors on a
tripod came out great. I wish the hand held shots were done by steadicam due to the amount of
shake, it was hard to focus on what was happening on screen. This is definitely a film that
makes you question what was reality and what wasn’t. In the end, the film lets you decide.

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Short Film Review: Jake & Pete’s Christmas Special. Directed by Luke Marley

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When the spirit of Christmas seems to have left a small town in Gloucestershire, Jake and Pete must find a way to restore it in time for Christmas.

Review by Julie Sheppard:

Jake & Pete’s Christmas Special is a riotous short that has its own charm, but also freely refers to other stories and people in popular culture. The characters and settings are cleverly created with scrawling pencil crayons. Cutout figures move across the screen as if paper dolls, in a stop-motion way. 

The chatter between the main characters is witty and blunt, full of lively and expletive language, much like in the animated show, South Park. They debate common youth topics such as the popularity of certain video games, are also on a quest to rekindle the Christmas spirit. Depictions of real people such as Joe Wicks, Rachel Zegler, and Keanu Reeves and a showing of Prince Harry’s recent book Spare, are all done in a cheeky, entertaining way. 

A Christmas film would not be complete without jingle bells aplenty, and this soundtrack does not disappoint, making the gritty language and characterizations all the more edgy in comparison. The young gravelly voices of the characters give this piece the feeling that the kids are just having fun, using their imaginations and a stream of consciousness, as the tale gets more and more zany. The demise of an evil Frosty-type character and the lead female are shown as mangled pencil crayon drawings, as Santa lists off his favourite things – a list of hard drugs. 

Although the rather rough pencil lines give the piece a child-like feel, this project ends up touching on a wide variety of serious adult issues such as economics and politics and makes use of a cornucopia of modern popular icons to address them.

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Short Film Review: Beat Keepers: The Next Chapter

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A powerful and inspiring documentary that follows a group of talented female drummers as they unite for a life-changing three-day retreat in Dallas, Texas. Through the raw energy of rhythm, unwavering mutual support, and a shared passion for music, these women forge deep, lasting connections and celebrate the transformative power of music to heal, empower, and unite.

Review by Victoria Angelique:

BEAT KEEPERS: THE NEXT CHAPTER is an amazing documentary about inspirational female drummers. The community of ladies come together in Dallas, Texas for not only training women interested in drumming, but a weekend of support. 

The women that make up Beat Keepers come from various backgrounds, yet it doesn’t deter them. The time they come together is more than just classes and performing, it’s about sisterhood. Many of the women have a solid connection of being breast cancer survivors. This weekend is about lifting each other up and enjoying the company of their fellow drummers. They don’t judge the backgrounds of the women that come to take the course or perform in the Breast Cancer Can Stick It! Drummathon. They simply have fun and inspire music. 

Beat Keepers have become a family of women from across multiple locations. They accept drummers that have been performing for a short time or their entire lives, the whole point is to lift each other up within their musical family. They fly out to Dallas to join in this weekend and for the women that can’t, they still manage to include them so that they know they are still a part of this remarkable sisterhood. According to the documentary, only about 10% of drummers are female. This makes the need for community that much more important as without support of their fellow women, someone might become discouraged. 

BEAT KEEPERS: THE NEXT CHAPTER is an inspirational story of sisterhood and music. Everyone should have a community like these remarkable women.

Directed by Cindy Goldberg

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Feature Film Review: VIRGIN FOREST. directed by D. Kerry Prior

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Desperate to escape the supernatural visions that haunt her, Anna falls prey to a fanatical cult that plans to transform her life forever. A dark satire, Virgin Forest subversively critiques the historically patriarchal control of the mental health industry, and pits feminist awakening against the cult of cultural and spiritual conformity.

Review by Victoria Angelique:

The sick interworkings of a cult is depicted from the inside in the feature length film, VIRGIN FOREST. It begins with an eye-catching scene that contradicts itself, a girl that is running naked and covered in blood as peaceful classical music plays. It isn’t something that goes together as the girl appears afraid, yet the music gives a feeling of peace. Once Anna is introduced, the reason begins to be clear, this is a cult. 

The vibe of the entire film gives nods to Alfred Hitchcock. The story is drawn out, to give moments of confusion that builds suspense. The cinematography is vibrant when Anna is aware of what is going on & blurred when she is drugged. It appears she is dreaming. The score accompanies the story perfectly. It’s crisp and clear when Anna is alert. It echoes when she is drugged. 

The storytelling delves into the dangerous workings of cult life, in how they slowly suck a person into their web of deceit. Anna has been chosen to be possessed by the “Virgin Mother”, someone the cult believes has been given many names throughout history. They make her doubt her dreams and torture her, so that they can worship her. She will be their new leader. 

What begins as a typical horror trope of a character coming to a secluded location quickly turns darker in this horror film. VIRGIN FOREST is a slow burn, but it works to make the viewer feel like they are going as crazy as Anna to understand the complex working of a cult that practices blood magic.

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Short Film Review: ARTHUR AVE.., directed by Joey Medina

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In a Bronx bar, a clash between traditional Italian-American “wiseguys” and the LGBTQ+ community leads to a confrontation that challenges the characters’ preconceptions and the dynamics of power.

Review by Julie C, Sheppard:

Arthur Ave. is a touching short set in the heart of the Bronx, New York City. There are fabulous, dizzying drone shots of the area off the top, then zooming in to Arthur Ave., and then finally landing inside the dark, smoky bar. 

The narrative is excellent, with a clear situational arc — starting with the dialogue by the racist, sexist jerks in the bar, the transition to their homophobic cruelty towards the happily married gay couple and, finally, the segment of understanding towards the couple by the bar owner. The performances of the cast are outstanding, notably the gay couple and the bar owner — such genuine vulnerability and warmth in their deliveries. Kudos to Roxy the dog, who also nails her performance. 

While it was satisfying to see justice delivered in this fictional tale, the real stat presented onscreen that more than 1 in 5 hate crimes are motivated by LGBTQ+ bias is quite sobering. The film is vitally important for all to see, and underscores the importance of the final note, writ large — “BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER” — a sincere message of compassion and love.