September 19, 2016 “Blair Witch” (** out of four) was an inferior third entry in the horror series about the brother (James Allen McCune) of Heather from the original who believes she may still be alive and mounts an expedition into the Maryland woods to find her but the curse of the Blair Witch is still very much alive and well. I wasn’t a huge fan of the 1999 original but this is virtually a scene-for-scene remake until the final third which provides some scares. A definite improvement over the second entry but that’s not saying much to put it mildly. Relentlessly shaky hand-held camerawork may cause you to reach for the dramamine after a while. Continue reading →
September 19, 2016 “Snowden” (** out of four) was a hugely disappointing true story of Edward Snowden (Joseph Gordon Levitt) who was a brilliant NSA technician but later became a whistle-blower of their illegal surveillance techniques in what became one of the biggest government scandals of the last decade. You would think this fascinating political material would be a perfect fit for director Oliver Stone but film is surprisingly dull, superficial, and it goes on forever. Gordon-Levitt is rock-solid as usual as Snowden but film hardly tells you anything about him or what his motivations were. Shailene Woodley makes her mark again as Snowden’s girlfriend and conscience. Continue reading →
September 15, 2016 “Unthinkable” (***1/2 out of four) was a penetrating melodrama about an international terrorist (Michael Sheen) who has placed three nuclear weapons scattered across the U.S. and is subsequently captured but refuses to reveal their locations. As the clock ticks down, an interrogation specialist (Samuel L. Jackson) and an F.B.I. agent (Carrie Anne Moss) are brought in to obtain vital information to save the world but both have completely opposite spectrums of how to do this. What seems like an ordinary setup for an action thriller soon becomes a multilayered story of moral responsibility involving terrorism, hidden truths, and torture if need be. Riveting performances dominate the screen, with Jackson in what may be the best performance of his career as a man dedicated to his job and saving lives at any cost! Searing screenplay by Peter Woodward is tensely directed and staged by Gregor Jordan. A dynamite surprise. Continue reading →
September 15, 2016 “Morgan” (** out of four) was a lackluster sci/fi thriller about a corporate risk-assessment specialist (Kate Mara) who is deployed to Alaska where an artificiallly created woman named Morgan (Anya Taylor Scott) has been showing violent tendencies and behavior and she has to decide whether to terminate her or not. Some interesting plot points about artificial intelligence and computers are enervated by film’s dreary pacing and by-the-numbers storytelling. Mara is good in the lead but Paul Giamatti, Michelle Yeoh, and Jennifer Jason Leigh are all frivolously wasted in supporting roles. A lukewarm directorial debut for Ridley Scott’s son Luke Scott. Continue reading →
September 15, 2016 “Cardboard Boxer” (**1/2 out of four) was a heartfelt but limited melodrama about a world-weary homeless man (Thomas Haden Church) struggling to live on the streets and survive and is recruited by a group of rich kids to compete in a fighting contest circuit against other homeless people. Haden Church is outstanding in what may be the best performance of his career and makes this worth watching for at least a few scenes. Film has some pertinent scenes and comments about the plights of the homeless but they’re unfortunately plugged into a story that’s conventional and contrived. For a more raw and powerful look at homeless people trying to survive, watch “The Saint Of Fort Washington”, “The Pursuit Of Happyness”, and “No Place Like Home.” Continue reading →
September 14, 2016 “Knucklebones” (0 stars out of four) was a dreadful horror thriller for knuckleheads about a group of bored and none-too-bright college students who unwittingly unleash a sinister force that begins murdering them after they play a game of dice with discarded bones. You can only wish that the script of this mess was discarded with as well. Terrible filmmaking and low-rent production turn this into a real horror show and the film is snail-paced and boring to boot. Re-caulk your bathtub instead. Continue reading →
September 14, 2016 “Deeper: The Retribution Of Beth” (* out of four) was a mind-numbingly awful thriller about a young girl (Julie Harmon) who enacts bloodthirsty revenge against two perverted scumbags who make it a point picking up random women and exploiting and demeaning them. Stupid, ugly rip-off of “I Spit On Your Grave” may make you want to spit on the filmmakers instead. Even the revenge action scenes are poorly staged and directed. For masochists and freaks only. Continue reading →
September 14, 2016 “Ithaca” (** out of four) was a meandering and sluggish small-town period piece set in the 1940’s about a young bicycle messenger (Jack Quaid) whose brother has gone off to war and whose father (Tom Hanks) recently died and lives trying to comfort his distant mother (Meg Ryan) while coming into his own as a young man. Directorial debut for Meg Ryan is an affectionate homage to Americana and shows she has a strong eye for small-down detail but hardly anything happens and you soon realize that the movie has no point and no story. Haunting music score by John Mellencamp is a major plus. A wasted reteaming of Hanks and Ryan who are in the movie very briefly and this is no match whatsoever for their classic “Sleepless In Seattle.” Continue reading →
September 14, 2016 “USS Indianapolis: Men Of Courage” (*** out of four) was a harrowing true story of the crew of the USS Indianapolis (Nicholas Cage, Tom Sizemore, and Thomas Jane among many others) who changed history by risking their lives to deliver the atomic bomb that would eventually end WWII but were subsequently stranded in the Phillippine Sea for five days and all but 317 died died from dehydration, starvation, and brutal shark attacks. Powerful story of courage and determination is corny at times but made gripping by the real-life details of its story and features shark attacks that are scarier than anything in “The Shallows” or any “Jaws” sequel. End-credits sequence which features interviews with actual survivors and footage of their rescue is particularly heartfelt. Continue reading →
September 14, 2016 “The Light Between Oceans” (*** out of four) was a moving story about a lighthouse keeper (Michael Fassbender) and his young wife (Alicia Vikander) who are unable to have children. One day, a baby washes up in a boat whom they adopt as their own but numerous complications arise when the child’s real mother (Rachel Weisz) enters their lives. Fascinating story of moral ambiguity and responsibility takes a while to get going but becomes more involving and thought-provoking as its serpentine story unfolds. Final half-hour is particularly shattering. Fassbender is rock-solid as usual. A solid showing for director Derek Cianfrance although this is no match for his last film “A Place Beyond The Pines.” Continue reading →
dlepikcom 