July 23, 2020 “I Want My MTV” (***1/2 out of four) was a dazzling documentary about MTV which took television and the cultural and creative landscape by storm in 1981 and changed the commercial and visual impact of music in the 1980’s and became a pop cultural phenomenon that seemed destined to last forever but was eventually flamed out by the rise of the internet and especially YouTube. Full of great music-video clips and interviews with former MTV VJ’s and also Sting, Kevin Cronin, and many others which put you right back into the center of the ’80’s craze again. An impressively done film about commerce, capitalism, and how one channel sent waves of change throughout an entire decade. Continue reading →
July 23, 2020 “The Silencing” (** out of four) was a lumbering character study/melodrama about a reformed hunter (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) now living in isolation in the wilderness who becomes involved in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with a mysterious killer who may have murdered his daughter as the determined local sheriff (Annabelle Wallis) tries to investigate. Film has mood, atmosphere, vivid cinematography by Manuel Dacosse, and a rich Muzak score by Brooke and Will Blair but never develops much momentum and thus fails to make much impact. Similar story and terrain was covered more effectively in 2013’s “Killing Season.” Continue reading →
July 22, 2020 “American Fighter” (**1/2 out of four) was an agreeably done action melodrama about a tough teenager (George Kosturos) who is forced into the treacherous world of underground fighting to save his ailing mom and becomes caught between a greedy and malicious promoter (Tommy Flanagan) and a former fighter (Sean Patrick Flannery) who wants to train him. Routine story covers all the B-movie bases and cliches but is proficiently made with likeable performances making this not a knockout punch but a mild enough jab. Very similar and on par with 1992’s “Gladiator.” Continue reading →
July 21, 2020 “A Killer Next Door” (**1/2 out of four) was a reasonably gripping suspense thriller about a teenager (Harriet Rees) who begins to suspect that her neighbor (William Meredith) is a fugitive murderer underneath his friendly exterior; meanwhile, a hard-nosed and determined cop (Phillip Roy) tries to close in on him and take him in. Based on the true story of a mass murderer John List who was the inspiration for the 1987 cult classic “The Stepfather”; this film isn’t in that same league and is hindered by familiar genre conventions but is still pretty suspenseful and watchable. Meredith is creepy as the neighbor and killer. Continue reading →
July 21, 2020 “Open 24 Hours” (**1/2 out of four) was an alluring but overdone horror thriller about a sweet young girl (Vanessa Grasse) who is on parole for killing her abusive boyfriend who takes a job at an all-night gas station where her previous mental health issues of paranoid schizophrenia return. When she has visions of being stalked by a mad slasher, are they real or are they symptoms of her psychosis? Colorful cinematography and direction and Grasse’s empathic performance hold you in its eerie grip for a while but story becomes overly cerebral and unpleasant as it goes way overboard with sensationalism and violence in its second half. A good attempt by writer/director Padraig Reynolds in a Kubrickian homage to “The Shining” that falls apart in its stretch. Continue reading →
July 20, 2020 “Archive” (*** out of four) was an unusually intricate and emotional sci/fi melodrama set in the year 2038 about a scientist (Theo James) working on artificial intelligence by trying to bring back his dead wife (Stacey Martin) but this proves more complicated than he initially thought yet he is unable to turn away and let go of her forever. Intriguing ideas and character development combine with stylish and assured filmmaking to make this a very satisfying and thought-provoking futuristic film. An interesting companion piece to Steven Spielberg’s “A.I.” and “Robocop.” Continue reading →
July 18, 2020 “Easy Does It” (* out of four) was an irredeemably awful melodrama about two redneck hillbillies (Ben Matheny and Matthew Paul Martinez) who are in debt to an underworld kingpin (Linda Hamilton) and take it on the run on a treasure hunt/crime spree across the deep South in the 1970’s. Repugnant characters and story suggests an episode of “The Jerry Springer Show” gone terribly wrong although if you’ve ever wanted to see Hamilton with braided hair and talking Southern tough- this is the movie for you. Even the beautiful Southern scenery looks blurry and ugly. Continue reading →
July 18, 2020 “Kat And The Beat” (**1/2 out of four) was a likeable and engaging teen comedy about a rock ‘n’ roll loving high-schooler (Ella Hunt) who tricks her way into managing a struggling rock band by telling them she is experienced and in her 20’s but this leads to lots of complications and surprises when she turns out to be a terrific manager and helps the band take off. Bouncy story is directed with a nice screwball sense of humor by E.E. Hegarty and enhanced by Hunt’s fun and believable performance although it starts to wear thin after a while and becomes protracted. In musicology, this is the equivalent of a danceable fluffy pop single that is a tad overblown. Continue reading →
July 18, 2020 “Death Of A Vlogger” (*1/2 out of four) was an underwhelming independent horror story about a young man (Graham Hughes) who is exposed to the creepy and dark side of the internet when his latest video which features an alleged haunting goes viral and becomes an internet firestorm and sensation. Writer/director/star Hughes makes a game effort (he even filmed this movie in his own apartment) but fails to bring any new sparks of vitality or creativity to this tired material. It might be time to retire horror movies about the internet because they just ain’t that scary. Continue reading →
July 18, 2020 “Zoey” (** out of four) was an ineffectual melodrama about a young man (Kyle Myhre) who returns home to NYC and hits a brick wall when trying to find work and in desperation hooks up with his drug-dealing brother (Jason Utnick) who gets him into the lucrative underworld of selling cocaine. Upon meeting the title character Zoey (Ruth Maria Flores), he then sees her as his savior to get him out of his rut in life but needs to find a way to leave the streets behind and get out unscathed. Gritty story with authentic NYC locations and atmosphere which harks back to ’70’s-era Scorcese and ’90’s-era Nick Gomez but unfortunately the script and characters are less-than-compelling. Lead actor Myhre also directed. Continue reading →
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