July 22, 2017 “Wish Upon” (*** out of four) was a well-crafted horror story about an awkward teenage girl (Joey King) who is given a wish box by her well-meaning dad (Ryan Phillipe) which will grant her seven wishes; initially she loves it but she soon finds out that each wish has horrific consequences that result in death. King’s strong and compelling performance and some unexpectedly effective moments and scares make this a surprise sleeper. Covers the usual bases for a horror movie but features more complexity and psychology about high-school bullying and isolation than usual for this kind of film. Continue reading →
July 22, 2017July 22, 2017 “Dunkirk” (**1/2 out of four) was a sporadically effective recreation of the fierce WWII battle in which allied soldiers (Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Kenneth Branagh, and others) from Belgium, France, and England were surrounded by German soldiers and faced certain death. Director Christopher Nolan ably replicates the aerial battles and some hair-raising moments of terror in battle but it never gathers much momentum and gets going. Well-made but lacking in character dimension of other war classics like “Saving Private Ryan” and “Platoon” which gives film an overall sense of aloofness. Excellent music score by Hans Zimmer Continue reading →
July 21, 2017 “Death Fighter” (**1/2 out of four) was a rollicking ’80’s style action thriller about an American cop (Matt Mullins) who witnesses his mentor’s murder in Thailand and there is suddenly a bounty out on his head and he is forced to team up with an alcoholic ex-military mercenary (Don “The Dragon” Wilson) to pursue the killers through the jungle and bring them to justice. Throws in pieces of “The Delta Force”, “Bloodsport”, and “Predator” in the blender; undeniably derivative but it’s good of its kind, with lots of martial arts action, gunplay, and some surprisingly good acting. Continue reading →
July 21, 2017 “Paramedics” (*1/2 out of four) was a terminally dumb horror thriller about two brothers (Joe Bocian and Brian Landis Folkins) who kidnap their victims and then harvest their organs for the black market but their latest kidnapped victim (Jenice Marshall) turns out to be savvier and tougher than they expected and eventually turns the tables on both of them. Unfortunately, this stupid and lame horror show isn’t savvier or smarter than you might expect. Awful acting and dialogue makes this one really tough-going to sit through. Place this one in I.C.U. Continue reading →
July 21, 2017 “Darkness Rising” (*** out of four) was a clever and spooky horror thriller about a girl (Tara Holt) and her two friends (Christian Ganiere and Bryce Johnson) who break into her childhood home where her mother went insane and to no one’s surprise- all hell eventually breaks loose. Opening scenes are routine and awkward but once the story (and evil spirits) get going, the movie packs enough sufficient jolts and scares. Yet another “haunted house” horror movie but more stylish and efficient than most. Strong lead performance from Holt gives this added impact as well. Continue reading →
July 21, 2017July 21, 2017 “The Drowning” (** out of four) was a ridiculous psychological thriller about a therapist (Josh Charles) who saves the life of a man whose suicidal (Avan Jogia) but doesn’t realize that he is a former patient who recently was released from prison and subsequently threatens his life and his wife (Julia Stiles). Muddled story has numerous lapses in logic and credibility but is given a strong boost by Charles’ first-rate and believable performance. Worth watching for at least a little while but story becomes overly reminiscent of “Cape Fear” especially in its second half. Continue reading →
July 19, 2017 “SWAT: Under Siege” (**1/2 out of four) was an action-packed fourth entry in the series that began with the 2003 Colin Farrell/Samuel Jackson thriller about a SWAT compound that comes under fire from an international terrorist (Matthew Marsden) who will stop at nothing to apprehend a mysterious criminal (Michael Jai White) who has crucial information and is inside SWAT headquarters. Somewhat routine and features some uneven acting but is packed with enough firepower, hand-to-hand combat, and fast-paced action to give fans their money’s worth. Not at the level of the first-rate 2003 original but better than the last few “SWAT” entries. Continue reading →
July 16, 2017July 16, 2017 “Gremlin” (** out of four) was a thoroughly predictable and obvious horror programmer about a man (Adam Hampton) who receives a mysterious box with a sadistic creature that threatens everyone in his family unless he passes the box along to someone else he loves before it is too late. Absolutely no relation to the 1984 horror classic “Gremlins” besides its title and a few plot similarities. Competently made but without any scares or surprises that make this a box worth opening. Bring back Gizmo and Stripe for another round! Continue reading →
July 16, 2017 “First Round Down” (*1/2 out of four) was a first movie to avoid about a former hockey star turned pizza deliverer and hitman (Dylan Bruce) who returns to his hometown to care for his younger brother but comic foils from his past come back to haunt him. Potentially funny story of a former hockey player turning into a down-on-his-luck assassin is undone by dumb writing and slapdash plotting. Yet another Coen Bros/Tarantino wannabe that comes up short and fires blanks. Continue reading →
July 14, 2017 “Granny Of The Dead” (** out of four) was an umpteenth “living dead” movie about a young man (Marcus Carroll) in London who awakens and suddenly finds that his grandmother has become one of the walking dead and he is trapped in his house while he tries to stay alive. Neither the best nor worst of its type but you’ve seen it all before and done better, especially in George Romero’s “Night Of The Living Dead” which gave birth to this genre nearly 50 years ago. At least this moves quick and has flashes of macabre wit. Continue reading →
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