October 19, 2016 “The Infiltrator” (***1/2 out of four) was a riveting, electric underworld crime melodrama based on the true story of undercover federal officer Robert Mazur (Bryan Cranston) who ended up toppling Pablo Escobar’s colossal drug empire in the 80’s by going undercover as a corrupt businessman. Director Brad Furman does a first-rate job of navigating an often convoluted story. Cranston is terrific as usual and John Leguizamo matches him in one of his best performances ever as his partner who knows no other life besides being undercover. Owes an obvious debt to “Blow”, “Donnie Brasco”, and various Scorcese crime thrillers but is still one of the best films of this year. Continue reading →
October 19, 2016 “Puerto Ricans In Paris” (*1/2 out of four) was a tiresome fish-out-of-water comedy about two Puerto Rican NYPD detectives (Luis Guzman, Edgar Garcia) who find themselves out of their element when they have to pursue a stolen handbag in Paris. Multiple language and ethnic complications and jokes about the Eiffel Tower are a given. One-joke story quickly wears thin and gets maximum mileage from Guzman’s effortless charisma. Rosario Dawson is bizarrely wasted in a throwaway role as Guzman’s girlfriend. For a funnier look at almost the same story, watch “From Paris With Love” instead. Continue reading →
October 19, 2016 “The Evil In Us” (*1/2 out of four) was a disposable horror thriller about six friends off on a Fourth of July weekend who become overtaken by a sinister force and are unwittingly turned into bloodthirsty cannibals. “Cabin Fever” covered this same ground about 15 years ago and come to think of it- that sucked also! This forgettable knockoff is again only for those who will try anything that pops up in the Redbox machines Continue reading →
October 19, 2016 “Sorority Slaughterhouse” (* out of four) was a grade-Z horror thriller that makes any of the crummy “Paranormal Activity” sequels look like “Psycho” by comparison. When the promiscuous dean (Eric Roberts) of a small-town college commits suicide, he is reincarnated as a clown who stalks the sorority sisters of whom he used to sleep with and blames for driving him to his death. Inept filmmaking and acting make this laughable and stupid. Movie reuses the film score from some of the “Friday The 13th” sequels, a reminder (as if we needed one) of the right way to make these kinds of movies. Everyone has to pay the bills- but can’t anyone rescue great ’80’s character actor Roberts from this unreleasable junk? Continue reading →
October 19, 2016 “The Marksman” (*1/2 out of four) was a standard-issue action thriller starring Wesley Snipes going through the motions as a mysterious government agent attempting to stop Chechen rebels when they seize control of a Russian nuclear plant and threaten worldwide devastation. Nothing that Steven Seagal, Chuck Norris, or even Charles Bronson didn’t do and do better twenty-to-thirty years ago. Even Snipes looks bored and gives a fairly one-note performance. Made in 2005 but sat on the shelf and has been released now to your local Redboxes. Mark this one of your list. Continue reading →
October 19, 2016 “The Hatching” (*1/2 out of four) was a dull horror thriller set in a small village in London in which a young man (Andrew Lee Potts) returns home after the death of his father and finds that there’s something large and terrifying in the local ponds which is chewing up the local residents. Drably made and filmed horror movie makes you wish that horror filmmakers would finally hatch some new ideas. Over 40 years later, “Jaws” easily outchews this mess. Continue reading →
October 19, 2016 “Deepwater Horizon” (*** out of four) was an impressively done action dramatization of the notorious April 2010 disaster when the title drilling rig exploded and created the worst oil spill in U.S. history and how one drill-worker (Mark Wahlberg), his captain (Kurt Russell), and the rest of the team struggle to stay alive and stop the spill. Gets off to a shaky and slow start but once the spill begins, the movie becomes harrowing and thrilling and an edge-of-your-seat action thriller! Director Peter Berg and cinematographer Enrique Chediak do a rock-solid job of creating time and place and putting you squarely on the ship in the midst of a historic disaster. Continue reading →
October 19, 2016 “My Scientology Movie” (** out of four) was a rambling documentary narrated and documented by screenwriter Louis Theroux showing him investigating the controversial Church Of Scientology and how it’s religion has alternately alienated and captivated the world. Fascinating subject matter of scientology and its administrators and followers but film is tedious and repetitive after a while and doesn’t tell you much about scientology itself. Features television interviews with scientologists Tom Cruise and Marty Rathbun. It’s surprising Michael Moore hasn’t tackled this material yet. Continue reading →
October 19, 2016 “The Evil Gene” (*1/2 out of four) was an evil bore about a none-too-bright F.B.I. agent (Richard Speight, Jr.) sent to a federal correctional facility to investigate a murder but soon uncovers that there may be sinister forces at work. Apparently, he never watched either “The Shining” or “The Amityville Horror” (or even “Paranormal Activity”) or he would have been miles ahead of this story. By-the-numbers horror trash that’s only for those who will watch anything and everything that comes out. Watch “The Evil Dead” again instead. Continue reading →
October 19, 2016 “2 Jacks” (*1/2 out of four) was a losing hand told in two separate parts about a legendary but over-the-hill film director (Danny Huston) struggling to regain his footing and respect in Hollywood; film’s second half inexplicably shifts to his son (Jack Huston) who is struggling to break through in Hollywood. A disappointment from director Bernard Rose who has been a noted stylist who directed “Candyman”, “Immortal Beloved”, and many others; this time his story is aloof, incomprehensible at times, and too often boring. Both Hustons try their best but having them play father-and-son is a casting stunt that doesn’t pay off. Continue reading →
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