February 28, 2022 “The Desperate Hour” (**1/2 out of four) was a mildly gripping suspense thriller about a devoted mother (Naomi Watts) out on a run in the wilderness who turns into frenzy and panic when her town is suddenly put on lockdown and she realizes her son may be in danger and she has to find a way back to civilization. Watts is virtually the whole show here and (as usual) proves she is a commanding actress but there isn’t enough story here to sustain an entire feature-length film and after a while film starts to peter out. A solid effort from director Phillip Noyce (“Dead Calm”) that overall just misses. Continue reading →
February 28, 2022 “The Electric Man” (0 stars out of four) was an absolutely unwatchable sci/fi snoozer about a man (Jed Rowen) who experiences a 12,000 voltage shock and his life subsequently alternates between a blur of reality and fantasy. Or something like that. Film’s title is sadly ironic because film has no electricity (or worth) of its own. Acting and direction are rockbottom and some of the dialogue is mind-numbingly awful. Eric Roberts and Tom Sizemore are wasted in nothing supporting roles. Continue reading →
February 28, 2022 “Restless” (*** out of four) was a slick suspense thriller about a corrupt cop (Franck Gastambide) whose life starts to spiral out of control when he has to go to extremes to cover up an accident and he starts receiving anonymous threats from a mysterious witness and has to keep a cool head while in a descending quicksand of duplicity and deception. Gritty story of corruption is enhanced by crackerjack direction from Regis Blondeau and keeps its firm grip due to Gamstambide’s strong (and believable) performance. A small winner all around. Continue reading →
February 28, 2022 “Gasoline Alley” (*1/2 out of four) was a sordid suspense potboiler about a man (Devon Sawa) under suspicion for the murder of three Hollywood actresses who enlists the help of the two cops (Bruce Willis and Luke Wilson) who have been trailing him to launch his own investigation into the Hollywood underworld and track down the real killer. Sleazy and unpleasant story covers all-too-familiar terrain; Willis sleepwalks his way through his umpteenth paycheck role as a cop but at least Wilson adds some sardonic humor as his partner. Continue reading →
February 19, 2022 “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (**1/2 out of four) was a better-than-average direct sequel to the 1974 original about Leatherface (Mark Burnham) who comes out of hiding after 50 years to terrorize a new group of Texas visitors (Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, and others) who accidentally disrupt his home; then the sole survivor of the original Sally Hardesty (Olwen Fourere) comes out of hiding as well to face him for the ultimate revenge showdown. Ninth entry in the series is initially routine but some ultraviolent kills, refreshing hard-edged gore, and stylish scares make this one of the better entries in a long while. Not on the level of the original classic and its superior 2003 remake but definitely has enough “buzz” to make it worthwhile for fans. Continue reading →
February 19, 2022 “Uncharted” (** out of four) was a noisy adaptation of the Sony videogame about a young street-smart (Tom Holland) who is recruited by a seasoned treasure hunter (Mark Wahlberg) to recover a lost fortune from 500 years ago but soon find that they have to race against a ruthless kingpin (Antonio Banderas) who believes he is the rightful heir of the money. The film equivalent of empty calories with lots of action and wall-to-wall effects but little story or characters to hang them on. An all-too-typical movie video game adaptation although fans of the game may like it more and fans of the genre may find it like a junior-version of “Indiana Jones.” Continue reading →
February 18, 2022 “Flee The Light” (*1/2 out of four) was a disjointed horror psychodrama about a psychology student (Annie Tuma) who attempts to cure her sister’s (Ariana Marquis) crippling mental health problems but finds that they are rooted in (yawn) an ancient creature intent on claiming both their souls. Some stylish directing flourishes are lost in film’s overall monotony and unpleasantness. This was a big winner at Toronto’s indie horror fest but I guess they have to get out more often. “Flee The Movie” would be a better title for this clunker. Continue reading →
February 16, 2022 “Jackass Forever” (*1/2 out of four) was a dismal continuation of this hugely successful series about the reuniting of the crew (Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, and others) after 11 years who continue their endless pranks and stunts and somehow manage to stay alive and always keep laughing. Crude and stupid and proud of it- film is strictly for those who thought the previous entries were robbed at Oscar time. Knoxville and the boys seem to be having fun but it’s awfully hard to take after a while. Fourth and (hopefully) final entry unless they want to make “Jackass Goes To The Retirement Home” in another 11 years. Continue reading →
February 14, 2022 “Shut In” (*1/2 out of four) was a desultory suspense thriller about a single mom (Rainey Qualley) who is locked in a closet by her abusive former boyfriend (Jake Horowitz) and child-molester friend (Vincent Gallo) who in turn threaten her children so she has to outsmart them and stay alive and try to escape. Yet another woman-in-jeopardy/woman-stuck-in-the-house thriller which makes the viewer simultaneously feel stuck. Qualley’s strong performance is the one bright spot for this one-note and (at times) deeply unpleasant film. A disappointment from director D.J. Caruso who did solid work on “Eagle Eye” and “Disturbia.” Continue reading →
February 12, 2022 “Blacklight” (** out of four) was a by-the-numbers Liam Neeson action potboiler starring him as (what else?) a shadowy former government operative who begins to unravel a widespread conspiracy involving the F.B.I. director (Aidan Quinn) once a fellow operative (Taylor John Smith) is murdered and he takes it on the run killing anything and everything that gets in his way. Needlessly murky and overly routine with only Neeson’s effortless charisma to support it although even he seems to be simply going through the motions here. This was actually written by former U.S. Department Of Justice attorney Nick May but regardless- this feels just “Bourne” again. Continue reading →
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