August 14, 2019 “From The Dead” (* out of four) was a deadly dull revenge potboiler about a woman (Sarah Hollis) who accidentally murders her husband (Will Leon) during a domestic dispute. Her husband’s brother introduces her to an Aztec ritual spell that brings him back from the dead but he seeks bloodthirsty vengeance. Unfortunately, nothing that he does can bring this movie back “from the dead.” Leaden and sleazy affair goes nowhere for nearly an hour-and-a-half. It’s movies like these that make you realize why “Ghost” was such a masterpiece back in 1990. Continue reading →
August 14, 2019 “Darker Than Night” (** out of four) was a moody but mild horror story about a young blind woman (Bea Santos) who spends the weekend in a countryside getaway with a few friends (Erik Knudsen, Melinda Shankar, and others) but soon comes to suspect that one of them is a deranged killer when strange occurrences begin happening and murders start piling up. Holds your attention with it’s melancholy atmosphere and strong lead performance from Santos but impatience rather than tension is aroused, especially in the second half when it becomes pretty apparent who the killer is. A story about a blind woman is only so effective when the killer is too easy to see. Continue reading →
August 14, 2019 “The Mummy Rebirth” (*1/2 out of four) was an abortive attempt at keeping “The Mummy” brand-name alive about two treasure hunters (Brittany Goodwin and Carter) who uncover a long-lost sealed tomb and awaken a mummy (Shamel Hashish) who is out for vengeance and wants to eradicate all of humanity and they have to race against time to prevent the mummy from escaping and wrecking havoc. No relation to either the Brendan Fraser nor the Tom Cruise “Mummy” movies and is more akin to “Raiders Of The Lost Ark” but is pretty feeble regardless. Terrible performances provide a few unintentional laughs. Continue reading →
August 14, 2019 “Blinded By The Light” (***1/2 out of four) was an exuberant musical comedy set in 1987 Britain in which a Muslim teenager (Viveik Kalra) learns to express himself through the liberating rock-and-roll of Bruce Springsteen music but this puts him at odds with his strict family and the repressions of society. Full of great music and musical numbers and anchored by a winning and star-making performance from Kalra; a real treat, especially for Bruce fans. One of the rare movies also that harks back to the 50’s and 60’s and Hollywood’s Golden Age of musicals. Continue reading →
August 13, 2019 “Incredible Violence” (*1/2 out of four) was an incredibly unpleasant horror story about a hack filmmaker (G. Patrick Condon who also directed) who wastes the money that has been given to him to produce a low-budget horror movie and then decides to recoup his losses and his movie by locking a cast of actors (M.J. Kehler, Michael Worthman, and others) in a rental house and becoming the villain in his own movie! Potentially fun story is bungled by unlikeable characters and a sea of ugly violence. You can only imagine what the Wes Craven of “Scream” could have done with this material. Continue reading →
August 13, 2019 “The Peanut Butter Falcon” (**1/2 out of four) was a meandering but sweetly told drama about a young boy (Zack Gottsagen) with Down’s Syndrome who runs away from a living facility to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional wrestler and is befriended by a stubborn redneck (Shia LaBeouf) while his nurse caretaker (Dakota Johnson) goes after him and attempts to find him and bring him home. Leisurely story never builds to much but is nicely shot and told and given a boost by its strong cast. Thomas Haden Church has a good supporting role at the end and Johnson once again proves herself as a first-rate character actress. Continue reading →
August 13, 2019 “Capsized: Blood In The Water” (*** out of four) was an unsettling action drama based on the true story about a group of travelers (Josh Duhammel, Tyler Blackburn, Beau Garrett, and others) whose yacht capsized leading them to fend for survival in the brutal waters of the Atlantic and become ravaged and attacked by some vicious tiger sharks. Yet another killer sharks movie and very similar to the true story of the USS Indianapolis but this one scores points for dealing more with the physical/psychological/mental effects of this ordeal while at the same time providing some good scares. Bonus: the sharks look genuinely real and terrifying. Continue reading →
August 12, 2019 “Every Time I Die” (*1/2 out of four) was a muddled mess about a young man (Drew Fonteiro) who is murdered on a remote lake and his soul and spirit gradually travels through his friends (Michelle Macedo, Marc Menchaca, and others) in order to protect them from his killer and this leads him to attempting to discover his true identity, the reasons for his death, and the true meaning of life. Brain-teaser of a movie will drive you crazy with its twists and turns and changes of identity that only make the movie incoherent. Good actors are helpless with this material. Continue reading →
August 12, 2019 “The Kitchen” (** out of four) was an overcooked melodrama set in Hell’s Kitchen in the 1970’s in which three wives (Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, and Elisabeth Moss) of NYC gangsters continue their husband’s run of organized crime after they’ve been locked up in prison but soon realize they might be over their head. Not bad, with some flashy storytelling and good soundtrack selections from the ’70’s, but story is awfully similar to last year’s “Widows” and you may soon realize after a while you don’t care about any of the characters or their plights. Both Haddish and McCarthy are relatively subdued here in change-of-pace roles. Continue reading →
August 12, 2019 “Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark” (**1/2 out of four) was a somewhat creepy adaptation of Alvin Schwartz’s blockbuster children’s book series set in 1968 about a group of teens (Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, and others) who have to face up to their fears in life in a small town in order to stay alive but they soon realize that past secrets and various dark mysteries could lead to their deaths. Vividly made and directed and holds your attention but its thin storyline prevents it from excelling and really taking off. One of the producers was Guillermo del Toro who leaves his distinctive stamp on film’s visual flash. Continue reading →
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