September 25, 2017 “The Show” (** out of four) was an obvious melodrama about a television show host (Josh Duhamel) who has a nervous breakdown and starts a new show in which the contestants end their lives for money in front of a mass audience. Duhamel is no Peter Finch and this is no “Network” but Giancarlo Esposito’s heartbreaking, Oscar-worthy performance as a struggling father makes this worth watching for at least a few minutes. Esposito also directed and ironically- you wish he focused the film more on his character instead. James Franco appears unbilled in a minor role at the beginning Continue reading →
September 24, 2017 “Last Rampage: The Escape Of Gary Tison” (** out of four) was a blah melodrama based on the true story of the 1978 prison break of Gary Tison (Robert Patrick) and Randy Greenawalt (Chris Browning) from Arizona state prison and the national manhunt from law enforcement (Bruce Davison, John Heard, and others) that followed. What may have seemed electrifying and revelatory back in 1978 seems overly pat and familiar now. Even the usually dynamic Patrick seems to be just going through the motions and has played this role one-too-many times before. Davison, however, has one of his best roles in years and Heather Graham is nearly unrecognizable as one of their family members. A mediocre effort from director Dwight Little who has directed several noted episodes of “Prison Break”. Continue reading →
September 24, 2017 “Cult Of Chucky” (*1/2 out of four) was a low-rent seventh entry in this wearisome series about the killer doll (voiced as always by Brad Dourif) returning to terrorize his former victim Nica (Fiona Dourif) whose now in a mental hospital. More confusing and dumb than fun although final twist in which Chucky figures out a way to possess several bodies (hence the title) is worth half a star. Film marks a return for Alex Vincent (who played Andy Barclay in the original) and Jennifer Tilly but gives them almost nothing to do. Hard to remember how scary and clever the original was back in 1988. Continue reading →
September 23, 2017 “Sniper: Ultimate Kill” (** out of four) was a hollow seventh (!) entry in this never-ending series about the American sniper (Chad Michael Beckett) who is sent to Bogota and teams up with a feisty DEA agent (Danay Garcia) to eliminate a ruthless drug-runner named “The Devil”; upon arriving to Bogota, he soon discovers that his father (Tom Berenger) has been called out of retirement and is running the C.I.A. operations there. Of note solely for a reunion scene between original “Sniper” veterans Berenger and Billy Zane. Other than that, this is more-of-the-same and strictly for series fans. Continue reading →
September 23, 2017September 23, 2017 “The Houses October Built 2” (* out of four) was a horrendous sequel to the equally horrendous original showing five friends (Brandy Schaefer, Zack Andrews, Mikey Roe, and others) recovering from the trauma from the original who decide to face their fears and go on a cross-country trek of Halloween haunted houses but find that the Blue Skeleton may still be alive and still stalking them. Desperate anthology of horror-movie and found-footage cliches offers no scares or jolts, and most of the characters are annoying and unlikeable. Final scene leaves the door open for another sequel and that’s scarier than anything in the film. Did anyone really like the original that much? Continue reading →
September 23, 2017 “Leatherface” (*1/2 out of four) was a thoroughly stale prequel to the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” showing a teenaged Leatherface (Chris Adamson) and how he escaped from a mental hospital with a vengeful sherriff (Stephen Dorff) on his trail and was badly influenced by his deranged mother (Lili Taylor) to become a vicious, saw-wielding killer. Original “Chainsaw” writer Kim Henkel wrote this and this was executive produced by original director Tobe Hooper but enough already! Despite a few good gory deaths, it’s familiar and forgettable. Dorff actually looks older in the flashback scenes than he does in scenes set in the present day! Continue reading →
September 23, 2017September 23, 2017 “Gaga: Five Foot Two” (**1/2 out of four) was an intimate documentary reminiscent of Madonna’s “Truth Or Dare” about the pop phenomenon Lady Gaga showing her in preparation for her Super Bowl halftime show but also her day-to-day life involving her relationships with her family and her intense physical pain that has recently affected her and the nonstop pace of her career. Film features interviews and footage of her father, producer Mark Ronson, and many others but she honestly isn’t that interesting an interview subject and it doesn’t show you much about her that you don’t already know. Mostly for hardcore fans; others might get bored after a while. Continue reading →
September 23, 2017September 23, 2017 “Killing Gunther” (** out of four) was a heavy-handed comedy about a group of eccentric assassins (Coble Smulders, Hannah Simone, Taran Killam) who decide to locate and retire the world’s greatest assassin (Arnold Schwarzenegger) but he remains one step ahead at all times and turns the tables on them. Fast-paced comedy is too uneven and never quite hangs together although this may be your only chance to hear Arnold sing country music (he actually says in one scene “I’m coming for you Brad Paisley”). Stay through the credits for one of Arnold’s country “songs”, if you make it that far. Continue reading →
September 21, 2017 “The Everglades Killings” (*1/2 out of four) was a strictly by-the-numbers horror show about a group of young college kids (Sydney Ray, Nicholas Kolasisnski, Peter Pontone, and others) on Spring break in Florida who take a less-than-incredible journey to the Florida Everglades where they are all stalked and killed one by one. All this movie does is kill your time. “Scream” made fun of shoddy horror movies like these 20+ years ago and “Creature From The Black Lagoon” was a scarier monster/slasher movie filmed in Florida 60+ years ago! Continue reading →
September 21, 2017 “England Is Mine” (*1/2 out of four) was a superficial biography of the early life of rock star Morrissey (Jack Lowden) showing him growing up in early ’70’s England and how he discovered rock and roll which would eventually lead him to becoming the lead singer of The Smiths and later a solo superstar. Unfortunately, film presents the young Morrissey as being both one-note and dull and as the result the film is too. Film hardly tells you anything about Morrissey that you probably don’t intuitively know anyway. Lowden looks a little like Morrissey but displays little of his sullen charisma. Hard core Morrissey fans might want to take a look but Smiths titles “How Soon Is Now?”, “Asleep”, and “Nowhere Fast” are apt descriptions of sitting through this Continue reading →
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