# directorial debut (blogs) — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 2 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover directorial debut. Page: Feed: --- ## [Holy Days (2026) Your Granny’s Feel-Good Movie of the Year](https://thegeekshow.co.uk/holy-days-2026-review/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=holy-days-2026-review) _2026-08-15 · Mark Cunliffe · The Geek Show_ Directed by Nathalie Boltt and adapted from the novel by Joy Cowley, Holy Days is positioning itself as your granny’s feel-good movie of the year. It’s a broad and syrupy comedy-drama from New Zealand that tells the story of Brian (Elijah Tamati), an indigenous boy who’s been struggling after his \[…\] ## [Vampire’s Kiss (1988) The Patient Zero of Nicolas Cage Performances](https://thegeekshow.co.uk/vampires-kiss-1988-review/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=vampires-kiss-1988-review) _2026-08-11 · Alex Paine · The Geek Show_ What would us cinephiles do without Nicolas Cage in the world? Internet discussions about the man who successfully shook off the reputation of coming from the Coppola family by simply picking whatever project he felt like (some good and plenty bad), tend to forget that he’s a very strong and \[…\] ## [Hellcat (2025) Breathes Fresh Life into One-Location Horror](https://thegeekshow.co.uk/hellcat-2025-review/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hellcat-2025-review) _2026-08-11 · Rob Simpson · The Geek Show_ Isn’t it funny how time can heal all wounds in the world of movies? Just a few short years ago, the words “contained”, “chamber” or “one location horror” had utterly exhausted the genre audience – to the extent that people didn’t want to see another film set in one place \[…\] ## [Jiří Trnka – Puppet Master: The Czech Year (1947), Old Czech Legends (1953), The Hand (1965)](https://thegeekshow.co.uk/jiri-trnka-puppet-master-1947-1953-1965-review/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=jiri-trnka-puppet-master-1947-1953-1965-review) _2026-08-10 · Graham Williamson · The Geek Show_ Animation – it’s not just for adults any more! If the most internationally famous Czech animator is still that macabre Surrealist Jan Švankmajer, then Second Run have been doing their best to present global audiences with a more rounded picture of the country’s animated output. They’ve reissued several films by Karel \[…\] ## [Stolen Kingdom (2026) – A whole new world behind the curtain](https://thegeekshow.co.uk/stolen-kingdom-2026-review/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=stolen-kingdom-2026-review) _2026-08-10 · James Rodrigues · The Geek Show_ If you are a film fan, chances are that you use Letterboxd to log your films. Nestled within the site is Video Store, a rental service which offers a curated selection of films which are worth trying, and one of their recent additions is the fascinating documentary Stolen Kingdom. At \[…\] ## [Dead Man’s Shoes (2004) A Taut and Terrifying Tale of Abuse and Revenge](https://thegeekshow.co.uk/dead-mans-shoes-2004-review-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dead-mans-shoes-2004-review-2) _2026-08-10 · Alex Paine · The Geek Show_ The success of 2006’s This Is England, and its subsequent TV continuations, established Shane Meadows’ style of gritty working-class stories that drew on his personal experiences and exposed the darkest sides of humanity. But before the consolidation of his themes in This Is England, there was his previous film, 2004’s Dead Man’s Shoes, \[…\] ## [Tokyo Burst: Crime City (Fantasia International Film Festival 2026)](https://thegeekshow.co.uk/tokyo-burst-crime-city-fantasia-2026/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tokyo-burst-crime-city-fantasia-2026) _2026-08-09 · Rob Simpson · The Geek Show_ Eiji Uchida’s Tokyo Burst: Crime City, which hits the city’s Kabukichō district with an unmistakable Ryu Ga Gotoku swagger, is kind of a spinoff of the Roundup series fronted by Don Lee (Ma Dong‑seok). From street brawls to gang politics and host‑club intrigue, the director’s narrative chicanery turns small disturbances \[…\] ## [God Skin (Fantasia International Film Festival 2026)](https://thegeekshow.co.uk/god-skin-fantasia-2026/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=god-skin-fantasia-2026) _2026-08-09 · Rob Simpson · The Geek Show_ With Mortal Kombat 2 already released and Street Fighter coming out later this year, 2026 appears to be the year of the fighting game movie. To that list we can probably add Paween Purijitpanya’s God Skin as even though it’s not actually adapted from a video game, it’s basically close \[…\] ## [I Love Paris (Fantasia International Film Festival 2026)](https://thegeekshow.co.uk/i-love-paris-fantasia2026/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=i-love-paris-fantasia2026) _2026-08-09 · Rob Simpson · The Geek Show_ There seems to be some confusion in the horror community about mockumentaries so let’s clear that up by saying the key word here is “mock”, which in the context of films means funny, satirical or parodical. Yes, the word can also mean “fake”, but the term faux-documentary already exists and \[…\] ## [Outside the Blue Box: Virtual Murder – A Torch for Silverado (1992)](https://thegeekshow.co.uk/outside-the-blue-box-a-torch-for-silverado-1992/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=outside-the-blue-box-a-torch-for-silverado-1992) _2026-08-07 · Mark Cunliffe · The Geek Show_ 2026 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the death of Jon Pertwee. As such, it seems only fair that we shine a light on an example of his work, specifically a relatively overlooked example of his work at the twilight of his days. The early 90s BBC telefantasy crime series Virtual \[…\] ## [Non-Custodial Crypto Gateway (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/82E89suyTvge) _2026-08-07 · **Sponsored**_ Accept multi-chain crypto, automated fee handling, and trustless escrow with real-time settlement. ## [It's not goodbye, it's smell you later.](https://lsgreenwood.substack.com/p/its-not-goodbye-its-smell-you-later) _2026-07-31 · Lauren Greenwood · CUT TO: Writing a Movie_ I'm taking a hiatus for the month of August to write and recharge. Here's a curated list of how-tos to tide you over. ## [Against all odds, I'm directing my first feature film](https://lsgreenwood.substack.com/p/against-all-odds-im-directing-my) _2026-07-24 · Lauren Greenwood · CUT TO: Writing a Movie_ An ode to writing cheques and then cashing them with your ass. ## [Go easy on yourself: Writing a film you can actually shoot](https://lsgreenwood.substack.com/p/go-easy-on-yourself-writing-a-film) _2026-07-17 · Lauren Greenwood · CUT TO: Writing a Movie_ Writing a screenplay with a lower budget in mind actually helps you to tap into your creativity. And it sets you up for success. ## [Writing Your First Draft: A Screenwriter's Guide](https://lsgreenwood.substack.com/p/pants-or-plots-writing-your-first) _2026-07-03 · Lauren Greenwood · CUT TO: Writing a Movie_ In which I weigh the pros and cons of writing a first draft script with the pantsing vs. plotting approaches. ## [The movie you write isn't the movie you see.](https://lsgreenwood.substack.com/p/the-movie-you-write-isnt-the-movie) _2026-06-19 · Lauren Greenwood · CUT TO: Writing a Movie_ You did it! You wrote a movie! Now someone is directing it and producing it and WOW! You've never been HAPPIER until... ## [How to deal with disappointment as a screenwriter](https://lsgreenwood.substack.com/p/how-to-deal-with-disappointment-as) _2026-06-05 · Lauren Greenwood · CUT TO: Writing a Movie_ I got a big wet raspberry in the face last week. Here's how I deal with disappointment as a screenwriter in the hopes that it'll make it easier for you too. ## [Why I don't write eight hours a day](https://lsgreenwood.substack.com/p/why-i-dont-write-eight-hours-a-day) _2026-05-29 · Lauren Greenwood · CUT TO: Writing a Movie_ Or, a realistic look at being an artist and a parent and/or caregiver with bills to pay. ## [Putting that Final Spit-shine on your Screenplay](https://lsgreenwood.substack.com/p/a-new-approach-to-polishing-your) _2026-05-22 · Lauren Greenwood · CUT TO: Writing a Movie_ Making micro-edits to your "finished" screenplay will always make it a better read. Here's my proposal for polishing like you're about to shoot your script. ## [Meet the Empress of TV Movies: An Interview with Christine Conradt](https://lsgreenwood.substack.com/p/interview-with-the-empress-of-tv) _2026-05-15 · Lauren Greenwood · CUT TO: Writing a Movie_ She's written, directed and produced well over a hundred TV movies. What's her secret? Let's find out... ## [Collect Open Source Legends (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/6m9xQNt8ftJl) _2026-05-15 · **Sponsored**_ Open-licensed art, limited foil trading packs, and optional on-chain mints. ## [The Types of Thrills for Writing Horror/Thriller Films](https://lsgreenwood.substack.com/p/an-exhaustive-list-of-the-types-of) _2026-05-08 · Lauren Greenwood · CUT TO: Writing a Movie_ Ever sit down to write a thriller or horror film and completely forget the ways that exist to freak people out? Me too. Allow me to solve that problem for us both...