December 29, 2018 “The Harrowing” (** out of four) was a sputtering thriller about a series of ritualistic killings which prompt a veteran cop (Matthew Tompkins) to go undercover as a patient in a local forensic hospital under the complete domination of a vindictive doctor (Arnold Vosloo) and soon finds he is losing his mind. Is he actually crazy or are these a side effect of the drugs he has been given? Reasonably well-made and features a few scares along the way but story is more-than-a-little similar to Martin Scorcese’s “Shutter Island” and like that film- it gets more cerebral and lurid (and unpleasant) as it goes along. Michael Ironside has a minor role as Tompkins’ captain but it’s really harrowing at this point what has become of his career. Continue reading →
December 28, 2018 “The Mule” (*** out of four) was a flavorful crime melodrama inspired by the true story of a former WWII veteran turned horticulturist (Clint Eastwood) who became “a mule”, a transporter for the Mexican drug cartel in Illinois, while several federal law enforcement agents (Bradley Cooper, Michael Cena, Lawrence Fishburne) are on his trail and his perplexed ex-wife and daughter (Dianne Wiest and Allison Eastwood) wonder where he’s been getting his extra cash. A perfect role for Eastwood who at nearly 90 still holds and commands the screen with his surly charisma and directs his story eloquently and effortlessly as it weaves suspense, action, and character development. Eastwood’s first starring role since 2012 and his first starring/directing effort in a decade. Continue reading →
December 28, 2018 “Mary Poppins Returns” (** out of four) was a bland sequel to the 1964 children’s classic about the return of Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) who comes back decades after her original visit to help the Banks siblings (Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer) and their family through financial and personal turmoil involving the evil president of the local bank (Colin Firth). Neither the music nor the staging nor the characterizations are anything special or memorable and result is sugary and forgettable as film stubbornly refuses to take flight. Even Blunt just seems to be going through the motions in the lead role. A disappointment from director Rob Marshall who previously directed the smashing musicals “Chicago” and “Nine” Continue reading →
December 26, 2018 “Feral” (** out of four) was a tepid horror drama about six medical students (Scout Taylor-Compton, Olivia Luccardi, Lew Temple, and others) off on a weekend hike in the woods and are attacked by a wild animal and they soon become infected with a deadly disease which turns them into rabid and bloodthirsty monsters. Not bad for this type of movie, with decent performances and crisp cinematography by Christos Bitsakos, but you’ve seen this all before and done better. Taylor-Compton remains a good horror movie siren who needs to find more original scripts and material. Continue reading →
December 26, 2018 “Keeper Of The Realm” (*1/2 out of four) was a boring adventure thriller about three rescuers (Manuel Uriza, Ivan Arana, Phillip Willingham) tasked with finding tourists missing in a cave but instead find a vault of dead bodies and lost treasure. When they decide to take the treasure, they awaken the spirit of the guardian who poisons them with greed and murder. Or something like that. Bolstered by an atmosphere of creepy menace but it leads to absolutely nothing, as film becomes draggy and tedious, and goes on forever at nearly two hours. Yet another “Raiders Of The Lost Arc” rip-off that can’t even close close and ends up resembling “Congo” instead. Continue reading →
December 25, 2018 “Fearsville” (* out of four) was a disastrously lame horror show that subscribes to the philosophy that any moron nowadays with a cell-phone camera can shoot their own horror movie. In the title town of Fearsville, a group of charmless teens (McKenzie Abney, Lilli Allen, Faith Dianne Baker, and others) have a party but (yawn) a psychotic murderer is on the loose and stalking them one-by-one. Even at only 75 minutes, this is pretty brutal. Terrible acting and filmmaking provide the only real shocks and scares here. It’s dreck like this that killed horror movies decades ago. Continue reading →
December 25, 2018 “The Lost Day” (*1/2 out of four) was an incoherent melodrama about two men (John James) who both claim to be the same person at a New Years Eve party but the parties are 6 years apart! Heavy-handed story is as confusing as it sounds and loses interest pretty quickly. Good supporting cast including William Baldwin, Danny Trejo, and Laura James is wasted. Don’t lose your day or money on this mess. Continue reading →
December 25, 2018 “6 Ways To Die” (** out of four) was a wearisome melodrama thriller about a mysterious underworld figure named John Doe (Vinnie Jones) out for revenge against a narcotics distributor (Michael Rene Walton) and aims to take 6 things away from him that he loves in a turf war that becomes a bloody game of cat-and-mouse. Better-than-average and holds your attention with its style and violence for its first half but story gets monotonous after a while and you’ll eventually be numbed by the sleaze. ’90’s stars Tom Sizemore, Vivica Fox, and Dominique Swain pick up a few extra bucks in wasted supporting roles. Continue reading →
December 25, 2018 “SAF3” (** out of four) was a mediocre collusion of “Baywatch” and “Firestorm”, if that sounds entertaining or even watchable to you, about an elite Souther California rescue task force on the water led by a fearless former military captain (Dolph Lundgren) who coordinates daunting rescue missions in the sea and on burning land. Fairly fast-paced but still pretty nondescript and disposable. Where is David Hasselhoff when you need him? Lundgren attempts to dance in film’s final scene but his dancing is as laughably stiff as his acting. Continue reading →
December 24, 2018 “I Still See You” (*1/2 out of four) was a hokey supernatural thriller that probably won’t be seen by many about an apocalyptic event that kills millions and leaves the world inhabited by ghosts. Ten years later, a disaffected high-school student (Bella Thorne) begins to see said ghosts which leads to her alliance with a mysterious stranger in school (Richard Harmon) and her increasingly bizarre relationship with one of her teachers (Dermot Mulroney) who may not be as nice as he seems. Well-made, with some striking cinematography and art direction, but story gradually decays into sheer corn and gets more outlandish (and confusing) as it goes on and on for almost two hours. Continue reading →
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