February 16, 2021 “Weekenders” (** out of four) was a curiously uninvolving melodrama about four twentysomethings (Peyton Michelle Edwards, Erik Bloomquist, Ehad Berisha, and Maggie McMeans) who have a scheduling mixup and wind up at the same air b&b and try to get to know one another and come to realize they have more in common than they all might expect. Sincere and likeable performances do all that they can to keep this flimsy story afloat but it’s mostly a fizzle. Yet another imitation of “The Big Chill” that turns out to be a big nothing. Co-star Bloomquist also directed, co-wrote the script and story, and also co-produced and co-edited. Continue reading →
February 16, 2021 “Alice Fades Away” (** out of four) was a stilted melodrama set in a 1950’s New England village in which a woman (Ashley Shelton) with a troubled past stumbles onto an isolated farmhouse and is taken in by its idealistic residents (Paxton Singletary, Blanche Baker, and others) but a mysterious figure from her past re-emerges and threatens her and the village’s safety. Suspense and tension are minimal and story is too undernourished and underwritten to have much bite; only Christopher French’s moody cinematography has any resonance. Watch “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” (or even “Alice In Wonderland”) instead. Continue reading →
February 16, 2021 “My Autopsy” (** out of four) was an excessively lurid melodrama about a young woman (Gareth Tibball) as she tries to escape from an abusive relationship with a mysterious stranger (Dave Stishan) who came into her life but finds that the personal and psychological scars from this are more immense and paralyzing than she realized. Provocative ideas and themes are unpleasantly played out which makes this tough to take for most of its running time. Give writer/director Holly Mollohan points for tackling a serious subject matter but result is more exploitative and than explorative. Continue reading →
February 16, 2021 “Legend Of Fall Creek” (* out of four) was a woefully lame horror show which won’t develop a legend of its own about the 20th anniversary of the death of someone (Irene Watson) at a party in a small-town who makes their return and stalks and slashes his way across the guests at that party and their various family members (Frank Brantley, Alton Clemente, Chuck Clendenin) and anyone else who dares to get in his way. Throwback to classic grindhouse cinema is incredibly low-rent and proud of it but is also stupid and boring. For no apparent reason, one of the character’s names is Nikki Sixx; coincidentally or not, this disheveled mess is the real theatre of pain. Continue reading →
February 16, 2021 “Breaking News In Yuba County” (** out of four) was a strained comedy about an unhappy older woman (Allison Janney) whose philandering husband (Matthew Modine) dies but it turns out that she finds she can take advantage of this situation and reap some publicity and fame from this once the local police (led by Regina Hall) and her daughter (Mila Kunis) think he is only missing. One-joke idea in which the one joke itself isn’t all that funny or entertaining. Director Tate Taylor throws in all the screwball humor he can to keep things lively but to not much avail. Janney is strong as always and is better than film deserves; both Modine and Kunis are wasted. Continue reading →
February 15, 2021 “Cry Me A River” (** out of four) was a hazy suspense melodrama about a disgraced former sports star (Sam Hazeldine) who has been in hiding in Norway for years and is now stalked by a woman (Julie Dray) who closely remembers his murdered ex-wife which forces him to psychologically and physically re-examine her death and the aftermath of events that drove him underground. Well-crafted story of enigmas and red herrings is too muted and too aloof to really have the visceral and emotional impact it needs. Distributor later re-titled this “Dark Corners”. Continue reading →
February 14, 2021 “Me You Madness” (*** out of four) was a cheekily done madcap comedy about a young thief (Ed Westwick) who cases an exotic house in Malibu but doesn’t realize it is the home of an eccentric ’80’s-music addicted serial killer (Louise Linton who also wrote and directed) with whom he soon falls in love with! Much more style than substance here but loaded with so much wall-to-wall great ’80’s music and so much off-the-wall humor that it’s entertaining and fun. An impressive directorial debut and showcase for Linton and a definite must-watch for fans of the ’80’s! Continue reading →
February 14, 2021 “Calm Before” (* out of four) was a dreadful horror story about a husband and wife (Michael Lombardi and Vanessa Ore) on the brink of divorce who go to a lake house for their anniversary and are trapped there as they are besieged by personal/psychological/physical demons that test the fabric of their relationship and their sanity. Ludicrous story is both over-and-under cooked and mosies on way too long. One more horror film derived from “The Shining” (and also “The Strangers”) but can’t hold a candle by comparison. Continue reading →
February 13, 2021 “Snow Black” (* out of four) was an inept action melodrama about a former special-ops soldier (Sarah V. Buckner) who returns home to bury her mother and subsequently gets sucked into a whirlpool of trying to rid her hometown of drugs, gangs, and crooked politicians (Robert D. Parham, Ron Van Clief, Royal Harbor, and others). Potentially juicy material is rendered worthless by slipshod filmmaking, confusing storytelling, and some terrible acting. “Snow Job” would have been a more apt title for this mess. Parham also co-wrote. Continue reading →
February 13, 2021 “Paradise Cove” (** out of four) was a hollow suspense thriller about a young couple (Todd Grinnell and Mena Suvari) who move to Malibu to renovate his mother’s beach house where they are harassed and subsequently terrorized by a deranged homeless lady (Kristen Bauer von Stratten) who lives underneath their house. Reasonably well-made and well-acted but too predictable and familiar to substantially catch fire. Both “Pacific Heights” and “Cold Creek Manor” covered this same terrain with more mood and intensity years earlier. Continue reading →
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