Direct Mail

USA - 2007

A story of a man that is confronted with the possibility of changing his life....


CAST
Jon Krupp
H. Golightly Perlo
Ross Hewitt
David Trites

Directed by Paulo Costa

Little Victim

USA - 2005

Little Victim ventures into the realms of the supernatural with a straight face. Brian Ronalds is Duane, a shady character meeting his upper crust divorced father Howard (the legendary Robert Wagner) in a parking garage. Howard has trophy Tracey (Lori Singer) draped in the passenger seat, while Duane has his rather lower-class mother Irene (Laura Durant) in tow. Duane has a treasure to deliver. However, he also has a surprise in the trunk that warrants a lot of discussion and debate.

The script is talky, but the talk is quite worthwhile. Dellis likes his humor presented with the kind of delivery that borders on dramatic. All four of the actors prove adept at saying the impossible as though it were routine. Wagner is strong. Always known for his natural suaveness, he uses his sonorous voice to espouse some pretty fantastical lines. In the opposite extreme, Durant is very funny as trailer trash, making her character into a mockery even while proving the most knowledgeable about the subject. Ronalds plays deadly serious quite well, while the weakest performance comes from Singer, who starts off disjointedly as the stereotypical dumb blonde but gains momentum when given more to play.

Dean Ronalds’ camera work is consistent and sometimes clever. The scenes are quite professionally shot and edited, visually keeping the tone of earnestness set forth by the script and actors.

CAST
Robert Wagner ... Howard
Lori Singer ... Tracy
Brian Ronalds ... Duane
Laura Durant ... Irene
Mark Trombino ... Little Victim

Directed by Dean Matthew Ronalds

Skin Deep

BRITAIN - 2001
Romo is a mixed race kid (half Pakistani and half white), but he lives on an all white housing estate. He starts work as an engineer and finds he can pass himself off as white. However when he falls in with a group of NF guys he gets involved in an attack on another Asian youth and is forced to confront himself with emotional results

If films confront racist issues they are usually toasted as being brave or something like that. However this deserves even more praise for looking at racial-self-loathing in no uncertain terms. The plot follows Romo as he tries to integrate himself into the white world around him. This is done well as, at the start, we understand him and almost accept his decision. However we learn how deeply this affects him at almost the same time as he does himself.

The film is violent and has lots of swearing throughout but is all the more powerful for it's realism. It isn't a comfortable watch and the ending is difficult but brave. It almost is a bit OTT and student-film-like but manages to be powerful rather than silly.

Sheppard is excellent in the range he has to deliver on. The rest of the cast are good as well but only really have to do characters where Sheppard must deliver in so many areas. The final scene is delivered with such force and realism that he totally makes the scene.
CAST
Darren Sheppard ... Romo
George Russo ... Skeggs
John Hudson ... Rutzie
Freddie White ... Caino
James Bannerman ... Pete
Scarlett Liebenhals ... Jameela
Mary Sheen ... Mum
Marc Zuber ... Dad
Tanisha Rehal ... Baby
Directed by Yousaf Ali Khan