July 16, 2016 “Black Fly” (***1/2 out of four) was a riveting family drama in the vein of “The Deer Hunter” about two estranged brothers (Matthew MacCaull and Dakota Daulby) who reconnect after years being estranged from one another; one of them soon realizes however that his older brother has become an unstable alcoholic with a violent temper which threatens him, his surrounding community, and his relationship with his wife (Christie Burke). Powerful story of family secrets, small-town dispair, and buried guilt are punctuated by scenes of scary and genuinely shocking violence. Both MacCaull and Burke sear the screen in Oscar-worthy performances. A real sleeper from writer-director Jason Bourque in his feature film debut. Continue reading →
July 16, 2016 “Contracted” (*** out of four) was a chilling and eerie horror melodrama about a young girl (Najarra Townsend) who is sexually assaulted at a drunken party and contracts what she thinks is a sexually transmitted disease but is actually far worse and destroys her physically, emotionally, and mentally over a period of time. Half a horror thriller but half a psychological melodrama about the ravaging effects of a deadly disease. Sometimes difficult to watch but effectively told and acted. Only the ending seems a little out of sync with the rest of the movie. Horror fans will note Caroline Williams from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2” who plays the girl’s overbearing mom. Continue reading →
July 16, 2016 “Preservation” (** out of four) was an OK horror thriller about an anestheseologist (Wrenn Smith who looks like a young Emma Stone) who goes on a hunting trip with her husband and her brother-in-law when they all become the target and prey of savage hunters. Gory and bloody movie is too routine and too much of a rip-off (yet again) of “The Blair Witch Project” and “Mother’s Day” to break new ground but has enough kills and thrills to make it watchable. Not original but better than most direct-to-Netflix junk nowadays. Continue reading →
July 16, 2016 “Free State Of Jones” (*** out of four) was a fine historical drama about Newton Knight (Matthew McConaughey) who was a disillusioned Confederate army deserter who led an uprising against the corrupt local Confederate government in Mississippi in the 1860’s which put him and his family in a political and personal crossfire. Richly told drama is anchored by a strong performance from McConaughey, a terrific supporting performance by Mahershala Ali as one of the slaves involved in the uprising, and a vibrant music score by Nicholas Britell. Starts to drag in the middle but recovers for a solid and very interesting final third. Not the great film it could have been but much better than the critics have been saying. Continue reading →
July 16, 2016 “The Answer” (** out of four) was a wrong answer for Redbox and Netflix fans about an introverted young man (Austin Hebert) who must find clues left behind by his deceased parents to find out his true identity and also who is after him and trying to kill him. Potentially intriguing story jumpstarts every now and then and makes you think it’s going to build to something but it’s unfortunately a fizzle. The answer to this presented question is to re-watch “The Twilight Zone” again instead. Continue reading →
July 16, 2016 “Sinister Squad” (*1/2 out of four) was a tacky comic-book melodrama about a female warrior (Christina Licciardi) who assembles a team of fairy-tale villains to face deathly and evil forced which threaten (yawn) world destruction. Not to be confused with “Suicide Squad” which comes out next month and will hopefully feature more energy and excitement and also (while we’re at it) characters and a story worth caring about and following. Continue reading →
July 16, 2016 “All Girls Weekend” (*1/2 out of four) was a pallid horror thriller about several high school friends who reunite for a camping trip in the mountains which goes swell until they all started being murdered one by one. Rips off “I Spit On Your Grave”, “Mother’s Day”, and (especially) “The Blair Witch Project” so no one feels left out. Weak script and even weaker acting make this a weekend well worth sitting out although Katie Carpenter is a knockout as one of the girls. Continue reading →
July 16, 2016 “Everybody Wants Some” (*** out of four) was a very funny and affectionate teenage drama set in the late 70’s and early ’80’s about a group of college baseball players and their transition to adulthood while still having fun and enjoying being young. Not all that much plot per se but the cast is so engaging, the script is so sharp and perceptive, and the soundtrack has so many great rock songs from its period that it’s fun to watch just the same. Director Richard Linklater’s most entertaining movie in years. This harks back to his “Dazed And Confused” but is a much better movie in this critic’s opinion. Continue reading →
July 16, 2016 “Cardinal Matter” (** out of four) was a muddled crime melodrama about a migrant worker (Zac Titus) who finds himself in the midst of a deadly cover up involving several factions including the cops and the underworld in a small Wyoming town. Murky storytelling makes this hard to get fully caught up in but beautiful and moody cinematography and strong performances make it watchable. Promising feature-length directing debut for Madeline Puzzo whose work seems influenced by early Terrence Malick (especially “Badlands”) and later-period Coen Bros. (especially “Fargo”). Continue reading →
July 16, 2016 “Elvis & Nixon” (** out of four) was an unconvincing biographical period melodrama about the untold true story of the meeting of President Richard Nixon (Kevin Spacey) and The King (Michael Shannon) and their opposing yet similar viewpoints on the world. Both Shannon and Spacey are terrific actors but both seem miscast. While some of the backstory of Elvis is interesting, the eventual meeting of the two at the end of the movie is heavy-handed and flat. For a more perceptive look at Nixon, watch Oliver Stone’s 1995 “Nixon”. Continue reading →
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