March 11, 2018 “Brawl In Cell Block 99” (*1/2 out of four) was an underdone prison melodrama about a tough convict (Vince Vaughn) who is sent to the title underground prison bunker by a rough warden (Don Johnson) after several fights with prisoners and guards. Film has very little plot and very little that’s revelatory for anyone who’s seen other prison films. Give Vaughn points for trying a different type of role for him but he’s one-note and superficial, much like the film itself. Johnson fares much better in key supporting role Continue reading →
March 10, 2018 “Bent” (*** out of four) was a gritty action thriller about a disgraced former cop (Karl Urban) turned private investigator after being released from prison and starts snooping around a murder case which he later connects to a government agency involving many friends and former working partners (Andy Garcia, Sofia Vergara, and others). Starts to lose its way in the middle as it becomes one more conspiracy thriller involving the government and sleazy cops but still has plenty of twists and turns, and features Urban in one of his strongest performances. Vincent Spano and John Finn are strong too in minor but key supporting roles. Continue reading →
March 8, 2018 “Children Of The Corn: Runaway” (*1/2 out of four) was a cornball, umpteenth entry in this weary series that began all the way back in 1984; once again, a murderous group of Midwestern children are running amok and a young pregnant girl (Marci Miller) relocates to Oklahoma to escape from them but she soon finds that those children have the darndest ways of tracking you down! Thoroughly routine and by-the-numbers. By this point, horror fans should want to run away from this series. Continue reading →
March 7, 2018 “Dirt” (*** out of four) was an endearing action drama about a reformed car thief (Deron Horton) looking for a second chance and gets a job as a mechanic for an off-road racing team but when their driver quits- the team’s manager (Kevin Dillon) then gives him a chance at being team driver and winning the championship! Story basics are predictable but rock-solid performances and chemistry from Horton and Dillon and good action scenes give this unexpected spark and fusion. Plenty of product plugs for Rock Star and racing parts. Continue reading →
March 4, 2018 “Agenda: Payback” (** out of four) was a tepid melodrama about a high-living sleazy executive (Sean Patrick Flannery) who is captured and taken hostage by a man who he screwed over (Eric Balfour) but all is not what it seems and the two men turn the table on one another numerous times. Both Flannery and Balfour are good and infuse this with all the electricity that they can but this runs out of steam and becomes tiresome even at only an hour-and-a-half. Remains watchable throughout but by the end, viewers may want a payback of their own. Continue reading →
March 3, 2018 “Death Wish” (*** out of four) was a riveting remake of the Charles Bronson classic about a mild-mannered surgeon (Bruce Willis) whose wife and daughter (Elisabeth Shue and Cammilla Morrone) are brutally attacked turning him into a vigilante on the streets of Chicago. The 1974 original is updated to the contemporary social media era with lots of action, tension, and plenty of timely moral ambiguity about gun laws and taking the laws into one’s own hands. But what really holds the movie together is Willis who gives his strongest performance in years as a man who becomes a reluctant action hero. One of director Eli Roth’s more unusual films for him but one of his best. Continue reading →
March 3, 2018 “Red Sparrow” (**1/2 out of four) was a gripping if not enthralling spy melodrama about a Russian ballerina (Jennifer Lawrence) who is recruited to join an intelligence service in which she is forced to use her body as a weapon and seduce a C.I.A. agent (Joel Edgerton) but this and a sinister mole within the organization threatens to unravel the security of both nations. Strong performances from a game cast keep you tense and involved but the suspense slackens at times, especially as film becomes fatally overlong at nearly two-and-a-half hours. Director Francis Lawrence’s inventive use of colors and a strong supporting cast including Mary Louise Parker and Jeremy Irons provide extra style. Continue reading →
March 3, 2018 “Battle Of The Drones” (*** out of four) was an explosive action thriller about a group of U.S. mercenaries (Louis Mandylor, Natassia Malthe, and others) who find themselves betrayed by the government (led by a sinister Michael Pare) and are forced to survive against a lethal team of murderous droids. Action starts to become somewhat mechanical after a while but it never stops moving and has some surprising touches of style and humor along the way. Pare is solid in an unusual villain role. Continue reading →
March 2, 2018 “Beyond The Woods” (* out of four) was a beyond-awful horror thriller set in Ireland about a group of friends (John Ryan Howard, Mark Lawrence, Ross Macmahon and others) who vacation in the countryside but their plans are thrown astray by a sinkhole near their home which unleashes a sinister force that threatens to kill them all. If that doesn’t sound like much to be scared about, you wouldn’t be wrong. Irish scenery is nice but otherwise this is amateurish and routine enough to make anyone need a stiff pint of Guiness or Jack. Begorrah! Continue reading →
March 2, 2018 “Half Magic” (*** out of four) was an engaging female comedy about three women (Heather Graham, Angela Kinsey, Stephanie Beatriz) and their various sexual and personal frustrations with the numerous men in their lives. First-time director Graham obviously watched “Sex And The City” a few times before filming this but she does a solid job of making her characters likeable and funny. Starts to go overboard with silliness but is still light and entertaining. Continue reading →
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