June 16, 2019 “FUBAR” (** out of four) was a mildly amusing comedy set in England in which a group of friends (Mark Heap, Sean Verey, Danny Kirrane, and others) go on a mock-zombie survival weekend in the wilderness but a series of complicated and contrived events leave them fighting for their lives as the military soon get involved and think they’re a deadly threat. Likable cast of charismatic unknowns have good chemistry together and wring all the laughs they can out of the thin script but a little of this goes a very long way. Originally titled “Killer Weekend.” Continue reading →
June 16, 2019 “A Haunting At Silver Falls 2” (** out of four) was a grim sequel to the 2013 original which not many were exactly clamoring for a follow-up to; this time, the heroine from the original (Laura Flannery) tries to move on but has to return to Silver Falls for a final showdown with the troubled ghosts of her past. Far from the worst of its ilk, with competent direction and performances and some stylish visuals and scares, but you’ve seen it all before and better and many times. Why this sequel was even made is a far greater mystery than anything in the story. Continue reading →
June 16, 2019 “Shaft” (**1/2 out of four) was a moderately entertaining sequel about John Shaft, Jr. (Jessie T. Usher) who has grown up to be a cyber-security analyst at the FBI. When one of his friends dies, he enlists the help of his cop father (Samuel L. Jackson) who in turn turns to his father Shaft, Sr. (Richard Roundtree) to uncover the truth and clean up the streets. It’s always fun to watch Jackson in his badass routine and him, Usher, and Roundtree all have good chemistry together but there’s a fundamental emptiness to the script and story and you wish the villains had been stronger and better defined. Regina Hall has a few laughs as Usher’s mom. Continue reading →
June 16, 2019 “Clinton Road” (*1/2 out of four) was a by-the-numbers bore about a widowed firefighter (Ace Young) determined to find out what happened with his wife (Sarah Pribis) when she went missing on the title haunted road in New Jersey and dares to go down the same road himself but will he survive or meet the same fate? Cheaply put together and features little scares or thrills and even less originality. Eric Roberts, Ice-T, Fredro Starr, Vincent Pastore all appear in token cameos. This was actually co-directed by ’90’s hearthrob Richard Grieco but this just doesn’t have the bite or ferocity of “A Night At The Roxbury.” Continue reading →
June 15, 2019 “Vault” (** out of four) was a tepid crime melodrama set in 1975 about a group of small-time criminals (Theo Rossi, Clive Standen, and others) who attempted to steal $30 million from the mafia in Rhode Island but naturally things don’t go as planned which leads to a slew of consequences. Director Tom DeNucci knows a thing or two about stealing himself since the film was obviously inspired and lifted from the style and themes of Scorcese and Tarantino (especially “Reservoir Dogs”) but it never really comes together. Strong supporting cast, including Chazz Palminteri, Don Johnson, and William Forsythe, is a definite plus. Continue reading →
June 15, 2019 “Daughter Of The Wolf” (** out of four) was an uneven action melodrama about a female military veteran (Gina Carano) who hunts the men (Richard Dreyfuss, Brendan Fehr, and others) who have kidnapped her son and takes them on one-by-one in the outdoor wilderness. Unfortunately, she doesn’t do anything that “First Blood” didn’t cover first- and more excitingly- over 35 years ago. Highlighted by Mark Dobrescu’s spectacular cinematography and beautiful Canadian locations but unfortunately this easily upstages the bland characters and threadbare story. Carano is one-note as usual and Dreyfuss is sorely miscast as an elderly redneck. Continue reading →
June 14, 2019 “Men In Black: International” (** out of four) was a stale sequel spinoff to the blockbuster series about a new team of MIB agents (Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson) trying to rid the universe of a paranormal scum but soon discover there may be a mole in their organization which threatens worldwide destruction. In all fairness- this is better than the first two “MIB” sequels and there are a few eye-catching action sequences and visual effects but it’s really more-of-the-same by now and strictly for series fans. Hemsworth is unusually annoying and Thompson is bland. Emma Thompson is one of the few returning cast members as Agent O and Liam Neeson has a crucial role as Hemsworth’s mentor. Continue reading →
June 12, 2019 “I Am Mother” (*1/2 out of four) was a dreary, derivative Netflix sci/fi thriller about a teenage girl (Clara Rugaard) who is raised in an underground bunker by a robotic mother (voiced by Rose Byrne) to repopulate Earth after mankind has become extinct. When a visiting stranger (Hilary Swank) informs her of a dark secret, she begins to question her identity and all that she has been told and taught in life. Film opens promisingly but soon grinds to a halt, as it becomes molasses-moving and tedious. Yet another futuristic thriller that owes an obvious debt to Stanley Kubrick and James Cameron but falters by comparison. Steve Annis’ shimmering cinematography is film’s only virtue. Continue reading →
June 12, 2019 “51 Nevada” (*1/2 out of four) was a tired and predictable alien-invasion thriller in which a young couple (Sam Schneider and Arielle Uppaluri) who witness a strange event involving possible otherworldly life form and then camp outside Area 51 hoping to find some answers but soon discover (yawn) a military coverup within the government who don’t want the truth to come out. Results are so by-the-numbers that it’s actually a surprise numbers don’t come out across the screen. “The X-Files” and “The Twilight Zone” used to cover stories like this in roughly 45 minutes. Continue reading →
June 10, 2019 “The Possession Diaries” (** out of four) about a young woman (Katherine Munroe) who suffers from demonic attacks after playing with a Ouija board one night and begins to wonder whether these attacks are real or is she mentally and psychologically going insane? Nothing that “Witchboard” didn’t cover better over 30 years ago in 1987 but still remains watchable, with a few occasional scares and decent acting. Strong character actor Noel Gugliemi, who almost always plays Latino thugs or gangsters, is amusingly cast here as a cop. Continue reading →
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