May 25, 2016 “X-Men Apocalypse” (**1/2 out of four) was a sporadically entertaining eighth entry in the series about the X Men uniting to defeat the emergence of the world’s first mutant, Apocalypse, who threatens worldwide extinction. Good characterizations and camaraderie amongst the team combine with usual dazzling effects but the story is too lumpy and never builds continued momentum. Magento, Xavier, and Raven figure prominently in the story but Wolverine (who gave many of the entries grit and soul) is disappointingly brief. Worth checking out for Marvel diehards and an improvement over its drab predecessor but this still bears the mark of going to the well once too often. Continue reading →
May 25, 2016 “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” (** out of four) was a more-of-the-same sequel starring Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne as the happily married couple who are in the process of trying to sell their house when a new sorority (led by Chloe Grace Moretz) moves in that’s even more debauched and raucous than the fraternity that was living there before. Virtually a remake, rather than a sequel, to the surprise 2014 smash although it has some scattershot chuckles that make it somewhat more watchable. Mixes in elements of feminism and homoeroticism too but features plenty of vomit and weed jokes to ensure you don’t take things too seriously. Continue reading →
May 25, 2016 “The Curse Of Sleeping Beauty” (** out of four) was a hokey supernatural thriller about a loner (Ethan Peck) who inherits a lucrative estate from his estranged uncle which comes with a mysterious curse which eventually threatens him and those around him. Strong atmosphere and cinematography keep you engrossed for a little while but story never takes off and eventually decays into sheer corn. Yet another haunted house thriller all-too-obviously inspired by both “Poltergeist” and “The Shining” but sorely missing Stanley Kubrick or Steven Spielberg’s touch. Continue reading →
May 25, 2016 “Cyborg X” (*1/2 out of four) was cybernetic junk about a group of survivors (led by Danny Trejo) who must fight to save humanity from an army of machines which are overtaken by a virus that programs them to (ho hum) exterminate mankind. Standard-issue post apocalyptic setting gives you nothing you haven’t seen before. Even Trejo seems to be just going through the motions and wishing he was in “Machete 3” or the next “From Dusk Till Dawn” entry. James Cameron’s “Terminator” entries told virtually this same story with much more poetry and action almost 30 years ago. The future just ain’t what it used to be. Continue reading →
May 25, 2016 “Freshwater” (*1/2 out of four) was a none-too-fresh horror dud about a monstrous alligator on the loose in the waters of a lake resort on the weekend a group of teenagers visit and soon there’s blood in them thar waters. Cheesy, lame thriller has few thrills or scares to satisfy blood-thirsty horror fans. At least “Lake Placid”, “Anaconda”, and “Pirannha” had some unintentional laughs. One-time ace stuntwoman Zoe Bell provides the only sparks as an alligator expert. Continue reading →
May 17, 2016 “A Fatal Obsession” (*1/2 out of four) was a fatal mistake for all involved about an abusive husband (Eric Roberts) whose wife and daughter escape and leave and then undergoes extensive plastic surgery to forge a new unrecognizable identity and re-enter their lives. Potentially clever story begs for Hitchcock in his prime but is bungled by slapdash direction and storytelling with little suspense, irony, or scares. Understandably, this bypassed theatres and premiered on cable instead. Continue reading →
May 17, 2016 “Restoration” (*1/2 out of four) was a tired Redbox horror thriller about a young couple (Emily Royalty O’Brien and Adrian Gaeta) who begin to do a home restoration but unknowingly release a fiery spirit that threatens their lives and blah, blah, blah. They should have restored the moldy script instead which is yet another ripoff of both “Poltergeist” and “The Shining” and also “Insidious” just to name a few. Would it kill horror filmmakers to scare up some new ideas once in a while? Continue reading →
May 16, 2016 “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2: Sword Of Destiny” (*1/2 out of four) was a murky and tedious sequel to the 2000 smash hit about the re-emergence of renowned warrior Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) who travels to Peking in search of redemption to locate The Green Destiny which is a legendary sword which may be able to save civilization. Numerous fight scenes become repetitive after a while and it’s drably and cheaply filmed. Fans of the original (I wasn’t) may like this a little better. Hard to understand the plot and even harder to understand why they made a sequel 16 years later. Only Yeoh’s effortless charisma helps keep this afloat. Continue reading →
May 16, 2016 “All Mistakes Buried” (*** out of four) was a harrowing drama about a one-time successful businessman (Sam Trammell) whose life has unraveled due to his drug addiction and takes him on an odyssey through the criminal underworld to try and seek redemption by retrieving a stolen pendant for his estranged wife. Trammell’s fierce and utterly believable performance makes this story gripping and compelling even though it’s flashback structure is a little hard to follow at times. Exquisitely shot by Alan McIntyre Smith and Trammell’s real-life wife Missy Yager is terrific in a small supporting role as his wife. Continue reading →
May 15, 2016 “Already Tomorrow In Hong Kong” (*** out of four) was a sweetly engaging love story in the vein of “Before Sunrise” about a Chinese-American girl (Jamie Chung) visiting Hong Kong for the first time who meets an American expat (Brian Greenberg) and they gradually develop feelings for one another, even though they’re both involved with other people and come from two completely different worlds. Both Chung and Greenberg have strong chemistry together and enhance director Emily Ting’s sharp screenplay against the beautiful Hong Kong backdrop. The fact that Chung and Greenberg fell in love and got married offscreen adds to its good vibes. Only the ending is unsatisfying and disappointing. Continue reading →
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