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A FOUR STAR **** Review by Jennie Kermode, EYE FOR FILM, 29th January 2013

At the time of writing, Syria has been in a state of civil emergency for nearly two years. Many Westerners will be familiar with it only from scenes of destruction on the television news. Others will know something of its historic background, of its marvellous architecture and multi-layered religious traditions. In 2010, documentary maker Yasmin Fedda set out to produce a portrait focused on its ordinary citizens. The result is an opportunity to listen to the voices most often lost in conflict - those of the peaceful people others claim to be fighting for.

Botrous is a Christian monk. He recalls an incident from childhood where a teacher slapped him for asking what happened to the poor people who went to the mosque. The slap woke him up, he says. It snapped him out of his utopian understanding of the world and brought him into reality. Whilst Botrous works to organise interfaith conferences and bring people together, his brother espouses a simpler form of patriotism, singing the praises of the governing regime. There are two Syrias here - the utopian, with valuable things to say about the nation's potential, and the real, where positive results require hard work. Two also in the military - the bombs we hear in the distance, the aids spoken of in whispers - and the civilian, the civic, the product of thousands of years of civilisation. Two more in the two stories we focus on here.

Living in an ancient monastery with a complex religious heritage, Botrous is a man whose life has been structured around intellectual and spiritual endeavour, manifesting in care for others. He welcomes tourists and holds discussion groups on ethics with assorted locals. He is also a lifelong fan of football team Al Jazera, with all their songs on his USB stick. On match days, he anxiously clutches his radio, carrying it around to try and keep the signal. Desite his awareness of the troubles around him, he is full of warmth and joy.

Salem came to Syria seeking asylum from the conflict in Iraq. His legal status is about to run out. He is harassed by the locals, even blackmailed, and without a work permit he struggles to support himself; his homes are a succession of rooms rented in other people's names. In Iraq his hair was pulled out by torturers so now he wears it long and has it bleached in streaks, like a Nineties footballer. A trained tailor, he sews beautiful clothes. He misses his old workmates and his family. He is lonely and afraid. He sees the dark underbelly of a country on the brink, even before the real fighting starts.

Through these glimpses into two very different lives, Fedda illustrates a nation built from interwoven narratives that defy the simple categorisations placed on it by outside observers. The hopes, needs and emotional depth of her subjects remind us how many more stories there are still to be told. They will make your heart break over the country's current suffering but inspire you with hope for its future. Though we see hints of the brutality to come, we also see landscapes of breathtaking beauty, and the score, largely composed of traditional songs, is full of yearning.

This is a review of The Download Horror (2012) by DreadWorld.

Finding a new, unique angle in todays world of 24/7 at your fingers media is something that's becoming more and more difficult. So when you find something that really tries to be different, you have to give it some kudos, even if by trying to be different, it borrows from something all to familiar.

'The Download Horror' is a neat little experiment out of Scotland, that attempts to revive the old Mystery Science Theater 3000 formula with a couple of foul mouthed Scotsmen. Dougie and Robbo live for the exploitation films, especially those sent to them by the mysterious Big Al. His latest is a dark, modern day cult driven film called 'Sacrificed'. Throwing on 'Sacrificed' the good guys from the land of Loch Ness do what the do best, lampoon the film and pine for boobies while showing an understated respect for the genre at the same time (kind of like what we do here at the DW).

'Sacrificed' itself looks like an intriguing film in its own right. In fact, there were times I found myself more interested in what was going on in 'Sacrifice' than what Dougie or Robbo were saying. Therein lies the problem with 'The Download Horror', 'Sacrificed' is the wrong film for this type of experiment. Make no mistake about it, 'Sacrificed' is not a good film, but there is just enough interesting stuff going on to peak your interest and make you wish the guys would be quiet for a bit. The other main issue with the film is that Dougie and Robbos schtick tends to get a little old after a while, especially for American ears. I'm sure there were plenty of jokes that I just plain missed simply because I'm not an expert in Scottish colloquialisms.

That being said, Dougie and Robbo are genuinely funny and there are more than a few laugh out loud funny moments. I had a blast listening to these guys watch a film. It would be extremely interesting seeing the next chapter in the Dougie and Robbo story, especially if given a worse film to watch.

'The Download Horror' is available on UK distribution site Distrify for either rent or purchase. Check it out and support some quality independent horror!

Our new Scottish film, The Download Horror, has been released on Distrify and is now available to view online.

The Download Horror is a comedy horror film produced in Edinburgh by Robin Mitchell and Keith Bradley and Directed by Jim Hickey.

The film-within-a-film structure of The Download Horror could be likened to the cult US TV series Mystery Science Theatre 3000. But the film remains true to its Scottish origins and the attitude of the two main characters accurately reflects this with its colloquialisms swearing and schoolboy vulgarity.

Click on this title to view The Download Horror.