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Outside the Spotlight
Sharing thoughts on cinema and showcasing up-and-coming creators from across the globe.
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'Shadows of the Past' (2025) Indie Movie Review: A Nightmarish Horror Anthology
Luz Carables' 'Shadows of the Past' blends retro horror vibes with surreal anthology storytelling. With haunting visuals, eerie atmosphere and a folkloric edge, this indie film taps into old-school scares while showcasing bold creative ambition.
3 days ago4 min read


'The Film Lost to Time' (2024) Indie Movie Review - A Haunting, Lynchian Dive into Obsession and Lost Media
Retro Video Pictures and Brandon Espana is Lynchian effort 'The Film Lost to Time'- a feature about obsession and lost media.
Jun 254 min read


REVIEW: 'Cohabitation' (2022), a thriller feature by Lauren Barker
While former paramedic Emily tries to live a low-key life to cope with her PTSD, her new roommate has other plans--and a long-held...
Feb 13, 20234 min read


REVIEW: 'AVA: A Twist in the Road' (2021), a drama feature by Catherane Skillen
Ava has lived a charmed life with the love of her life for over 25 years. In one instant the unthinkable happens and she loses it all,...
Aug 1, 20224 min read


INTERVIEW: Dana Ziyasheva On New Podcast, Movies and Career
Dana Ziyasheva, photo by Kirill Varshavskiy The whacky world of Dana Ziyasheva’s GREATLAND is expanding, this time in podcast form. How I...
May 26, 20227 min read


REVIEW: 'Spirit Quest' (2021), a comedy feature by Brent Lydic
Old friends go on a hallucinogenic mushroom trip through the desert to face their fears, doubts, and failures in hopes of coming to...
Jan 9, 20224 min read


REVIEW: 'Greatland' (2020), a sci-fi feature by Dana Ziyasheva
In a pleasure-filled dystopia lorded over by a computer called Mother, a teenage boy escapes to save his childhood sweetheart from a...
Oct 15, 20215 min read


REVIEW: 'Nicole' (2020), a dark comedy-drama feature by James Schroeder
Nicole is the story of a mysterious woman who is desperate to find love. She meets a gentleman named John on-line. They go on a first...
Sep 29, 20214 min read


REVIEW: 'Kin Dread', a thriller feature by Adrian León
An anti-social sound designer with retrograde amnesia discovers a string of murders in his building but when the carnage triggers...
Sep 20, 20215 min read


REVIEW: 'The Misadventures of Mistress Maneater', a comedy-drama feature by Binary Star Pictures
With only 30 days to repay a massive loan, a disgraced art historian is forced into a scandalous scheme: win the heart of, and then...
Sep 6, 20216 min read


REVIEW: 'The Hunter's Anthology' (2021), a mystery thriller series by Smithline Films
Six strangers find themselves trapped in a New York City subway by Mac, a mysterious man who claims to be a demon hunter. Insisting one...
Aug 27, 20215 min read


REVIEW: 'Felices Para Siempre' (2021), a short film by Anabel Estrella
Chloe is leaving and needs money before she loses her ride. Diego, her best friend, wants to help her. So the two of them kidnap someone...
Jun 30, 20213 min read


REVIEW: 'Forgotten Trash', a sci-fi horror by Retro Video Pictures
"It was in the last few days of college when one of my friends brought his DV Camera into class. That sparked the original idea of...
Jun 9, 20213 min read


REVIEW: 'Introspectum Motel' (2021), a thriller feature by Flying Mobula Films Ltd.
Introspectum Motel is a psychological thriller taking you straight to the heart of love and lust, holding up a mirror to our most...
May 19, 20213 min read


REVIEW: 'The Lost Shoes' (2021), a documentary feature by Tomaso Aramini and Rafiqfuad Yarahmadi
We wanted to tell a submerged part of Italian history from the perspective of the toiling masses and the working class using historical...
Mar 3, 20214 min read


WATCH & REVIEW: 'Renegade' (2020), a short experimental film by Gabby Lee
Renegade is an experimental short film that explores the exchange of matter in the universe. Everything on earth, alive or not alive, is...
Dec 28, 20202 min read


REVIEW: 'Undercover Bike Cop' (2019), a short film by Retro Video Pictures
Set in a future where crime is the law, a former cop and his supernaturally possessed bike partner go undercover to preserve justice....
Dec 21, 20202 min read


REVIEW: 'Remy's Demons', a horror feature by Bressler Productions
If there’s any genre that can benefit from having a low-micro budget, it’s the horror genre. Horror often looks to portray itself in a...
Oct 5, 20203 min read


WATCH: 'Eighth Wonder' (2020), a short action film by JKK Films
A woman suffering from cancer faces her ultimate chance at regaining back her life. Outside the Spotlight says: Taking the "nothing to...
Sep 15, 20202 min read


WATCH: 'Honour' (2020), a short action film by Under The Lens
When mercenaries are hired to kill his wife, our hero must reach into his dark past and take his revenge - though there is more to her...
Aug 31, 20202 min read
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