October 21, 2021 “Amityville Cop” (* out of four) was an awful melodrama about a city reeling from violence and decay and two officers (Jason Toler and Nicole D’Angelo) who attempt to stop a nutjob cop on the prowl who has been enacting vengeance and murdering innocent bystanders on the street and seems to have read one too many “Judge Dredd” comic books. Yet another movie to attempt to cash in on the “Amityville” name but actually rips off “Maniac Cop” instead; in fact, Laurene Landon (who plays a key character) was actually in the first two “Maniac Cop” films! Whatever the title, it’s trashy and stupid and set and show nowhere near Amityville. Continue reading →
October 20, 2021 “Last Man Down” (** out of four) was a hackneyed action potboiler about a former warrior (Daniel Stisen) broken apart from the hardships of civilization and society who now lives apart in seclusion in a forest whose lifestyle is interrupted by the arrival of a woman (Olga Kent) who needs his help and forces him back into action. Second half features some decent action scenes and hand-to-hand combat but film is cluttered by an overwhelming sense of deja vu all over again. This may as well have been titled “Last Man Standing” or “Last Man On Earth” because it tells virtually the same story. Continue reading →
October 20, 2021 “Fear And Loathing In Aspen” (* out of four) was an incomprehensible mishmash based on the true story of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson (Jay Bulger) and his bizarre desire and run for sheriff of Pitkin County in the ’70’s and the uprising this incurred among townsfolk. 70’s decor and details are just right; the rest is pretty much unwatchable. Hard-core Thompson nutjobs might find more of worth here but it’s awfully hard to take. Bulger is mostly one-note in the lead but so was Johnny Depp when he played him years earlier. Preferable to “Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas” but not by much. Continue reading →
October 19, 2021 “Hell Trip” (** out of four) was a hollow horror melodrama about a group of American tourists (Clayton Boyd, Jay Antsey, Jonathan Boynton-Lee, and others) who go on vacation to a remote village in Africa where they discover all-too-late that it carries an ominous and deadly secret and their lives may be in danger. Highlighted by Justus de Jager’s stark and crisp cinematography but film takes too long to get going and doesn’t deliver the sufficient goods. Shot in 2018 on location in South Africa in some of the hottest weather days there in history. Continue reading →
October 19, 2021 “Killer Advice” (*1/2 out of four) was a sub-routine psychological thriller about a woman (Kate Watson) suffering from PTSD who goes to see a psychiatrist (Meredith Thomas) who is a psychotic sociopath intent on ruining her life and turning it upside down. Enervatingly predictable and so by-the-numbers that you expect to see numbers flashing out at you on screen. Eric Roberts sleepwalks his way through another token supporting role and picks up another easy paycheck. Best “advice” this FB reviewer can give is to re-watch “Fatal Attraction” again instead. Continue reading →
October 16, 2021 “Doors” (** out of four) was a stylish but uninvolving sci/fi melodrama told in four different stories about the mysterious alien portals called doors which have become responsible for the disappearance of millions of people and changes to the Earth as we know it and how various people (Kathy Khanh, Julianna Collins, Arik Floyd, and others) attempt to understand and change these doors. Holds you initially with its eerie and elegiac mood and aura but after a while you realize there’s not much more to the film than this so it starts to become monotonous. Cool musical score by John Beltran is a definite standout throughout. Continue reading →
October 16, 2021 “Halloween Kills” (**1/2 out of four) was a respectable sequel which picks up the night the previous entry left off in which the unstoppable Michael Meyers (played by Nick Castle who played him in the original- a nice touch) is still alive and killing and chasing after a hospitalized Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis); meanwhile an angry mob in town led by Tommy Doyle (Anthony Michael Hall) vow to take him down at any and all cost. Lots of stylistic homages to the original (love the casting of Charles Cyphers and Nancy Stephens from the 1978 original and the amazing CGI work recreating Donald Pleasance) and some scares but film gets over-the-top and bizarre in its second half with lots of pretentious mythology about Meyers’ evil and origins and its ending is a letdown. Still overall worthwhile for “Halloween” fanatics and a definite improvement over previous sequels. Continue reading →
October 9, 2021 “The Secret Of Sinchanee” (** out of four) was a mild, meandering horror thriller about an industrial tow-trick driver (Steven Grayhm) who returns to his hometown after the death of his father and subsequently finds that paranormal activity has been living in the home and land in which he grew up and he has to eradicate it to save his family and his own town. Obviously a labor of love for writer/director/star/producer Grayhm and it’s well-made but offers nothing new and moves along too slowly and too long. Moody cinematography by Logan Fulton on stark Massachusetts locations are a definite plus. Continue reading →
October 9, 2021 “Vengeance Is Mine” (**1/2 out of four) was a stylishly done melodrama about a middle-aged man (Con O’Neill) who emerges from an abyss of grief and despair after his wife and daughter are murdered and he discovers the whereabouts of their killer and finds that vengeance gives him his new and only meaning in life. Directed (and maybe overdirected at times) with kinetic flash by writer/director Hadi Hajaig to ensure things stay lively. Starts to numb and wear you out after a while with its violence and cerebral intensity but definitely moves fast and holds your attention. Continue reading →
October 9, 2021 “The Mutation” (* out of four) was a horrendous horror potboiler about various citizens (Megan Purvis, Sarah T. Cohen, Abi Casson Thompson, and others) of a metropolitan city who become up in arms by a mutated rat (or actually an actor in a bad rat costume) that is wreaking havoc. If you ever wanted to see what an Ed Wood horror movie might look like in contemporary times, look no further; anyone looking for entertainment value or scares should look elsewhere. Laughably bad costumes is matched by dumb dialogue and by-the-numbers plotting. Continue reading →
dlepikcom 