August 4, 2018 “Anti-Zombie Force” (* out of four) was a bottom-of-the-barrel horror show that looks like it was filmed by someone’s cell-phone camera about a legion of zombies who are (yawn) attempting to exterminate mankind and a group of redneck warriors who attempt to take them down and restore humanity. George Romero’s original “Night Of The Living Dead” told virtually the same story with a lot more scares and humanistic dread and drama exactly 50 years ago! Maybe “Anti-Entertainment” would be a better title for this time-waster. Continue reading →
August 3, 2018 “Bad Samaritan” (*** out of four) was a gripping thriller about a young man (Robert Sheehan) who is down on his luck and turns to burglary and one night- he breaks into the home of a wealthy yuppie (Robert Tennant) and finds a young woman chained and nearly killed. When he tells the police and they naturally don’t believe him, he must play a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with him to free her to safety and prove the man’s guilt. Unexpectedly Hitchcockian movie features a terrific performance from Tennant and has plenty of suspense. Takes its time getting going but emerges a grabber. A powerful (if minimalistic) change of pace from director Dean Devlin of “Independence Day” fame. Continue reading →
August 2, 2018 “Love On Safari” (** out of four) was a pleasant but predictable romantic drama about a businesswoman (Lacey Chabert with a nosejob that now makes her look like Jennifer Love Hewitt) who inherits an animal reserve in South Africa and falls in love with one of the locals (Jon Cor) and must decide whether to return to her home and business in Chicago or start a new life. You can pretty much guess the rest. Beautiful South African scenery and Chabert’s usual likeability make this easy to watch…..but it’s just as easy to forget. Continue reading →
August 1, 2018 “Cheerleader Nightmare” (*1/2 out of four) was a cheerless, cheesy horror thriller about a high-school girl (Taylor Murphy) who discovers that her boyfriend (Johnny Visotcky) has been cheating on her with the school’s head cheerleader (Melissa Ponzio). When the cheerleader winds up murdered, she has to decide for herself who the killer is and whether her boyfriend can still be trusted. Originally titled “Teen Drone Stalker” which would have been fitting since this movie appears to have been made by drones. Horror duds like these were a lot more fun in the ’80’s. Continue reading →
August 1, 2018 “First Reformed” (*1/2 out of four) was a muddled and boring melodrama about a dying priest (Ethan Hawke) in upstate New York whose ongoing health and personal problems force him to re-examine his faith and thus his purpose in life especially after his son dies and he meets a pregnant woman (Amanda Seyfried) seeking help from her husband. Yet another disappointment from writer-director Paul Schrader who in better days wrote “Taxi Driver” and “Raging Bull.” Hard-core religious fanatics may find something more of merit here but it’s awfully long-winded and pretentious. Hawke is frustratingly one-note in the lead and Seyfried is wasted. Continue reading →
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