May 8, 2020 “Justice League: Apokolips War” (** out of four) was a tepid finale to the “Justice League” animated series set in the future in which Earth has been decimated by the intergalactic villain Darkseid (voiced by Tony Todd) so the league (voices of Jason O’Mara, Rosario Dawson, and others) regroups and attempts to thwart him and thus save the world one more time. Features enough action to satisfy comic-book diehards and fans of the series but too routine and ordinary to make an impression otherwise. Even the animation is pretty standard. Can’t someone by this point make a good “Justice League” movie? Continue reading →
May 8, 2020 “Cry Havoc” (*1/2 out of four) was a grisly horror story about a rogue cop (Robert Bronzi) who ventures into the woods to stop a brutal serial killer (J.D. Angstadt) and a sadistic opportunist (Richard Tyson) who films his killings when they both make it personal and kidnap his daughter. Full of gore and bloody and sadistic excecutions but it’s difficult to assess whether that’s tougher to take or the terrible dialogue and acting. It’s absolutely eerie how much Bronzi looks and acts like Charles Bronson but at this point- he ought to start crying out for some better roles and scripts. Continue reading →
May 8, 2020 “The Islands” (*1/2 out of four) was a stupefying drama based on the true story of Chiefess Kapiolani (Teuira Shanti Napa) who descended into an active volcano in Hawaii to demonstrate her new-found faith and ushered in a series of new beginnings for the state and for the nation as whole. There might be an inspirational movie to be made of this story but this isn’t it; film moves like molasses and is almost incomprehensible at times. Some pretty shots of the beautiful Hawaiian scenery are the only worthwhile components but you could just as easily watch the Discovery channel instead. Continue reading →
May 7, 2020 “Raising Buchanan” (*1/2 out of four) was a witless comedy about a woman (Amanda Melby) in dire financial straits who attempts to remedy her situation by (!) stealing the corpse of former President James Buchanan (Rene Auberjonois) and attempting to sell it back for ransom but problems arise when no one wants to buy him back. Oh- did I forget to mention that there are hallucination scenes in which she actually has conversations with the former President? Bewildering storyline is played for strained comedy with terrible results. Melby’s likeable performance is wasted. Continue reading →
May 6, 2020 “Working Man” (**1/2 out of four) was a respectable melodrama about a small Midwestern factory which has to shut down and one lifelong factory worker (Peter Gerrety) who refuses to accept this and still continues to go to work every day which inspires one of his main co-workers (Billy Brown) to go with him and unite the other workers which leads to numerous labor and law complications. Best thing about the film is Gerrety whose simple and touching performance as a man who knows nothing else but factory work and story also tackles interesting issues about the emotional (not to mention financial) detriments of suddenly being out of work but it goes afield in its second half and starts to become silly. Film’s ending is also obscure and anticlimatic. A mixed bag overall but still a worthwhile film relevant now in the times. Continue reading →
May 6, 2020 “Human Zoo” (0 stars out of four) was an unwatchable mess about a reality television show focusing on a series of contestants (Robert Carradine, Jose Rosete, Rachel Amanda Bryant) and who can remain in solitary confinement the longest and take home the cash prize of one million dollars. The filmmakers should have placed the same prize on the audience for anyone who can make it to the end of this excruciating film. A majority of the movie just focuses on camera footage of the prisoners in their cells talking to themselves! Anyone who finds this entertaining ought to place themselves in their own solitary confinement. Avoid this like the coronavirus. Continue reading →
May 6, 2020 “Exorcism At 60,000 Feet” (*1/2 out of four) was a lame horror comedy about a priest (Robert Miano), a rabbi (Robert Rhine), and the rest of a transatlantic airline (Bai Ling, Bill Moseley, Kevin O’Connor, Adrienne Barbeau, Lance Henriksen, and others) who try to rescue a plane when demonic possessions suddenly take over in midflight. With a title like that, you obviously know not to expect Oscar material but film is neither funny enough nor scary enough and frankly not even bad enough to make it worthwhile viewing for anyone. A real waste of a solid B-movie cast; the talented Miano deserves far better. Continue reading →
May 5, 2020 “Killer Prom” (*1/2 out of four) was a ridiculous thriller about a teenager and her father (Erica Anderson and Mark Lutz) who welcome in someone who claims she is a distant cousin (Yvonne Zima) but who (yawn) sets a plan to murder her way into the family and recreate the prom that she never got to experience as a young girl. Typically obvious and predictable story but unusually mean-spirited and illogical and film’s climax is laughably dumb. Recommended only for young girls who never saw “Obsessed.” Continue reading →
May 5, 2020 “The Killer In The Guest House” (** out of four) was a mundane suspense thriller about a struggling fashion photographer (Chelsea Hobbs) who rents her guesthouse to a former marine (Marcus Rosner) who seems like Mr. Perfect but she subsequently realizes he is a con man intent on killing and doing whatever it takes to overtake her life. Tired story is reasonably well-acted and well-made but you’ve seen it all done before and done better many times. Anyone who can’t guess the entire movie in the first 20 minutes needs to get a new hobby. Continue reading →
May 4, 2020 “Deadly Mile High Club” (** out of four) was a deadly predictable suspense thriller about a deranged flight instructor (Allison McAtee) who becomes fixated on one of her new aviation students (Marc Herrmann) and sets out to kill his partner (Anna Marie Dobbins) and everyone else in his life to make him fall in love with her. By-the-numbers story covers all the basics with professional mediocrity but film’s climax is pretty laughable. Directed by veteran director Doug Campbell who has told this same story (“Stalked By My Doctor”, “The Stalker Club”) too many times already. Continue reading →
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