August 20, 2020 “The Goocher” (* out of four) was a hideous horror thriller about six strangers (Tyler W. Abron, Reese Acuff, Louis Banks, and others) who find themselves stranded in the woods and are stalked and slaughtered by the title creature who may have watched “Ten Little Indians” ten too many times. Strictly amateur night in terms of acting and filmmaking which turns this into a real horror show. Even at less than an hour-and-a-half, this still feels padded and prolonged (and painful). Continue reading →
August 20, 2020 “Spree” (* out of four) was an irritatingly stupid and disjointed “comedy” done in the vein of a docudrama about a rideshare driver (Joe Keery) who tries and fails to build up a following on social media but then hatches a deadly scheme to go viral one night even if it kills him and others in the process. Amateurish and inept literally from the beginning; Keery’s obnoxious and in-your-face character (and performance) is of no help. David Arquette shows up in a meaningless cameo and “Scream 5” must be looking awfully good to him right about now. Continue reading →
August 20, 2020 “Poor Greg Drowning” (*1/2 out of four) was styrofoam Woody Allen about a young guy (Graham Sibley) whose girlfriend leaves him for their therapist and he soon becomes depressed and heartbroken but a new girl (Marguerite Gioia Insolia) moves in with him and they subsequently fall in love which helps him discover the true meaning of life and companionship. Some nice moments in the film’s final third are drowned out by Sibley’s unlikeable character and a screenplay that’s often crude and contrived and not especially funny. Cedric The Entertainer provides film’s narration but is unable to add much entertainment value here. Continue reading →
August 20, 2020 “You Don’t Know Nomi” (*** out of four) was an affectionately done documentary about the notorious 1995 flop “Showgirls” and how it was an unprecedented disaster that torpedoed the careers of director Paul Verhoeven and writer Joe Eszterhas and all-but-destroyed the career of star Elizabeth Berkeley- but was it really as bad as people said at the time or most people remember? An interesting revisit on a film that has gone on to be a cult classic (and a huge subsequent hit on video rentals and DVD sales) but received scathing and savage reviews at the time. For hard-core fans of director Verhoeven like me, it also dissects his film trajectory from his early Dutch fims to his Hollywood blockbusters (“Robocop”, “Total Recall”, “Basic Instinct”) and how this film came to fruition. Continue reading →
August 19, 2020 “Fragmentary” (*1/2 out of four) was a frustrating psychodrama about a man (Jace Packard) who believes he can travel to an alternate reality when he is intoxicated and this enables him to actually see and interact with his wife (Jacinta Moses) who was murdered two years before. Is he insane? Or is this actually real and can he actually see and prevent her murder? What should have been a crackerjack and cerebral thriller (with shades of Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” and John Dahl’s “Unforgettable”) turns into a monotonous and murky muddle. Star/writer/director/co-producer Packard gets an A for effort here but story doesn’t ignite and take wing as it should. Continue reading →
August 19, 2020 “Copper Bill” (*1/2 out of four) was a lugubrious action melodrama about two thieves (Thom Hallum and Dustin Rhodes) who attempt to steal $80 million in hidden drug money from the title Texas ranch but are soon encumbered by members of the Cowboy Mafia (Aaron Noack, Arthur RedCloud, and others) who want it back at all costs which leads to an all-out bloody war. Not all that different if you think about it than the Coen Bros.’ “No Country For Old Men” except this one is dry and plodding and has little dramatic payoff. Former pro-wrestler Rhodes is adequate in the lead but more movies like this could be the real golddust finisher for his acting career. Continue reading →
August 19, 2020 “The Stalker” (** out of four) was a minimalist horror melodrama about the title stalker who is on the loose in a wealthy suburb and sets his sights on one particular family (Jimmy Ace Lewis, J. Gaven Wilde, Chad Ayers, and Virgina Gogt) who have to set aside their recent differences and unite together to fight him off. By the standards of this trashy dreck, this isn’t bad and does move relatively fast, but is hindered by low-budget and production values to give it much distinction. Troy Fromin is creepy and funny as a pizza delivery weirdo who may or may not be the killer. This won the Broad St. Film Fest as best film of the year Continue reading →
August 19, 2020 “Looks That Kill” (*** out of four) was an absorbing teen drama about a high-schooler (Brandon Flynn) who has to deal with a lethally attractive face that literally kills others when they look at him but he soon finds more comfort and meaning in life when he meets a young girl (Julia Goldani Telles) who is ill and dying. Initially, this seems conventional and saccharine but story becomes more compelling as the two become closer and develop a strong relationship that eventually helps the film become more rich and moving; the final third is particularly winning and sends you out with a smile. Continue reading →
August 18, 2020 “Swimming For Gold” (** out of four) was an utterly predictable story about a young girl (Peyton List) whose dad sends her to Australia to coach an elite boys swim team but finds herself confronted with an old childhood rival (Lauren Esposito) who she has to make peace with to save the team and save the swimming camp that they are a part of from foreclosure. Nicely done at times and with good and enthusiastic performances to keep it lively but it’s usurped by a script and story that we’ve watched far too many times before. Young girls and sports fans may like this better. Continue reading →
August 18, 2020 “Before The Fire” (** out of four) was a moody but mild post-apocalyptic thriller about a television actress (Jenna Lyng Adams) who is thrust in the midst of a global pandemic and escapes back to her rural hometown but finds that civilization has collapsed and she has to hide from the virus and also a redneck (Jackson Davis) who is on the lookout for her. Strong work by Adams and Drew Bienemann’s bleak cinematography help this stay on track but not enough to make it standout from the rest of the pack (“28 Days Later”, “The Road”, many others) of other- and better- movies about the future and postapocalyptic society. Adams also wrote the screenplay. Continue reading →
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