September 24, 2018 “Frenzy” (*** out of four) was an intense, well-made horror thriller about a group of friends (Gina Vitori, Aubrey Reynolds, and others) whose plane crashlands on a scuba-diving trip and they are besieged by a trio of vicious and aggressive Great White sharks. Yes, this is one more in the umpteen series of shark movies but it’s well-acted and has sufficient scares and thrills. Plus as a bonus- those sharks look genuinely real and terrifying! Not the greatest Great White movie (that honor will always go to “Jaws”) but good of its kind. Continue reading →
September 24, 2018 “Fahrenheit 11/9” (** out of four) was a scattershot documentary sequel from filmmaker Michael Moore in which he details a scathing indictment and screed against the Trump administration and later the Republican party as a whole. Whether you agree with Moore’s politics will obviously affect your enjoyment of the film but as usual, Moore employs some inconsistencies and embellishments that affect his credibility and thus his film. Intelligent and interesting in parts but this cannot match the intensity or cohesiveness of the previous “Fahrenheit 9/11”. Continue reading →
September 24, 2018 “Lizzie” (*1/2 out of four) was a lifeless retelling of the true story of Lizzie Borden (Chloe Sevigny) who was accused and subsequently acquitted of murdering her father (Jamey Sheridan) and stepmom (Fiona Shaw) in 1892 Massachusetts. Not even the ax murders and an erotic love scene between Borden and her housekeeper (Kristen Stewart) can keep this from being dull. Performances are pretty flat and one-note as well. Watch “So I Married An Axe Murderer” instead. Continue reading →
September 23, 2018 “Sick For Toys” (*1/2 out of four) was an underwhelming horror story about a single guy (David Gunning), tired of being rejected, who accepts an invitation to have dinner with a new girl (Camille Montgomery) who he has met but upon meeting her and her odd brother (Jon Paul Burkhart) he soon discovers that his life may be in danger. Extremely weird story has a few interesting scenes at the beginning but it soon sputters and becomes over-the-top and unpleasant. You may be “sick” of the movie itself after about 45 minutes. Continue reading →
September 23, 2018 “Danger One” (*1/2 out of four) was a dangerously stupid and contrived melodrama about two zany paramedics (Tom Everett Scott and James Jurdi) who transport a dying man to the hospital but find a million dollars sewn into his clothing. When he subsequently dies, they decide to keep it but this soon leads to a never-ending series of consequences and headaches for them (and the audience). Promising beginning soon leads nowhere as film soon becomes frenetic and tiresome. Made by filmmakers who obviously spent too much time copying Quentin Tarantino but there’s no reservoir or no dogs here. Continue reading →
September 23, 2018 “Crooked House” (*1/2 out of four) was a blah adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1949 murder mystery about a former spy turned gumshoe (Max Irons) who is lured by his former lover (Stefanie Martini) to solve the murder of her grandfather before other family members (Glenn Close, Julian Sands, and others) and Scotland Yard (led by Terrence Stamp) begin to uncover clues which could lead to dark family secrets. Irons is good but it’s hard to care about anything involving the mystery when it’s all so dull. First-rate actors are unable to enliven or enrich tired material. Continue reading →
September 21, 2018 “Kings” (** out of four) was a heavy-handed melodrama set during the L.A. riots in 1992 in which a foster mother (Halle Berry) and her hostile neighbor (Daniel Craig) must band together to try and stay alive as the city around them is engulfed in flames and embroiled in chaos. Give writer-director Denize Gamze Erguven points for tackling a fiery story in a difficult piece of history but results are preachy and superficial at best. While it’s always good to see Craig and Berry onscreen, Craig’s accent wavers and Berry has played this same role numerous times before. Continue reading →
September 21, 2018 “Book Club” (**1/2 out of four) was an occasionally amusing comedy about four elderly women (Diane Keaton, Mary Steenburgen, Candace Bergen, Jane Fonda) and their various tribulations with the men in their lives (Don Johnson, Richard Dreyfuss, Wallace Shawn, and others) and also loneliness and getting older. The four female stars seem to be having fun and their enthusiasm and good-natured chemistry makes this entertaining to a point but watching women in their 60’s and 70’s crudely talking about sex is awkward and even uncomfortable at times. Fans of the stars should probably take a look, others may want to watch “Golden Girls” reruns instead. Fonda is oddly made up here to look like Sharon Osbourne. Continue reading →
September 20, 2018 “Final Score” (**1/2 out of four) was a serviceably efficient action thriller about a disgraced former soldier (Dave Bautista) who takes his niece (Lara Peake) to a soccer stadium game when ruthless international terrorists (led by Ray Stephenson) seize control of the stadium and say it will explode unless one of the terrorists’ brothers (Pierce Brosnan) is released! Rips off “Die Hard”, “Black Sunday”, and (especially) Jean Claude Van Damme’s “Sudden Death” in equal measure but features enough hand-to-hand combat and violent action moving at a fast pace to make it entertaining. Highlight: a motorcycle chase through the stadium. Brosnan is wasted but Stephenson is terrific as usual. Continue reading →
September 19, 2018 “Mandy” (0 out of four) was a mind-numbingly awful, pretentious monstrosity set for no particular reason in the year 1983 in which a mountain worker (Nicholas Cage) lives with his devoted girlfriend (Andrea Riseborough); when she is suddenly killed by a deviant children’s cult (led by Linus Roache), he gathers his chainsaw and knives and wanders the frontier embarking on spiritual and personal revenge. Almost completely incoherent movie would probably make just as much sense watching backwards but it’s also stupid and disgusting and goes on forever. What the hell drugs were the cast and crew using before filming this mess? Continue reading →
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