October 20, 2022 “The Possessed” (*1/2 out of four) was a strictly by-the-numbers horror thriller as unimaginative as its title about a seasoned exorcist (John Jarratt) who is summoned to uncover various demonic layers by the girlfriend (Lauren Grimson) of his nephew (Lincoln Lewis) but all-too-predictably all Hell Breaks loose. Lots of screams, loud shock effects, and Linda Blair-like voice mannerisms and vomiting but not much scares and certainly nothing original. “The Exorcist” had virtually the exact same plot all the way back in 1973! Jarratt is solid as usual but he should have called his agent and made “Wolf Creek 3” instead. Continue reading →
October 19, 2022 “Bitcon” (** out of four) was an unwieldy action comedy about a missing hard drive with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency and how this sets up a chase and multiple deceptions amongst various underworld figures (Noah Anderson, Ella Ma, Jeremy Davies, Frank Whaley, and others) trying to retrieve it. Writer/director Matt Osterman tries to keep things bouncy and lively but it all stalls and is a losing investment since none of the characters are likeable or all that interesting. It’s nice to see one-time 90’s stars Davies and Whaley back on screen again but they ought to invest in better scripts and projects than this. Continue reading →
October 18, 2022 “Piggy” (** out of four) was a lurid psychodrama from Spain about an overweight teenager (Laura Gelan) who is constantly bullied by a group of girls at school until she erupts with revenge which leads to a twist and turn of consequences for all of them. Gelan is outstanding and heartbreaking but film fanatics may note the overall familiarity of “Carrie” in this story especially in its second half when it becomes overly cerebral and grim. Film won much praise at various international film festivals in Spain. If you decide to watch, please watch in original language/subtitles because the American dubbing is hilariously awful. Continue reading →
October 16, 2022 “Blade Of The 47 Ronin” (*1/2 out of four) was a pointless sequel to the 2013 original set 300 years later in which Samurai clans exist in complete secrecy but each vie for world domination and various warriors (Anna Akana, Teresa Ting, Mark Dacascos) attempt to co-exist while each pursuing and carrying out their own bloody vendetta. Supposedly a follow-up to the original but it has none of the original actors (no Keanu Reeves either) and instead features a lot of numbingly repetitive swordfights and tacky martial-arts combat which viewers have likely seen at least 47 times before. Continue reading →
October 16, 2022 “Dead Bride” (*1/2 out of four) was a dispiritingly glum horror thriller about a woman (Jennifer Mischiati) and her partner (Christopher Hulsen) who return to her childhood home following the death of her father but soon find that all is not quite right and various evil spirits and entities still exist within the house that may kill them all for good. Or something like that. A few minor scares and jumps but film is overall dour and inert and fails to come to life. It’s about time horror filmmakers came up with some new ideas in order to raise this genre from the “dead.” Continue reading →
October 16, 2022 “Amsterdam” (** out of four) was a sputtering period comedy set in the 1930’s in which three friends (Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington) witness an abrupt murder and soon find themselves suspects themselves and soon uncover an outrageous spy plot involving a political war hero (Robert De Niro) and other various underworld characters (Michael Shannon, Remi Malek, and others). Director David O. Russell’s throwback to Golden Age screwball comedy is initially engaging and funny with its sharp acting and rapid-fire dialogue but soon rings hollow as you realize film is much more style than substance and doesn’t have much story underneath and runs out of steam (and laughs). Taylor Swift has a small but key role at film’s beginning. Continue reading →
October 16, 2022 “Accident Man: Hitman’s Holiday” (** out of four) was a noisy action comedy sequel about the return of the title Accident Man (Scott Adkins) who has relocated to Malta where he has to beat the top assassins in the world while protecting the bratty son (George Fouracres) of a mafia boss and rekindling his relationship with his insane father figure (Ray Stephenson). Never stops moving and packs in as much as action as possible to give you your money’s worth but may wear you out after a while. A little of this does not go a very long way. Adkins is game and showcases his flair again for lighthearted comedy as well as brutal action. Continue reading →
October 15, 2022 “Summit Fever” (*1/2 out of four) was an overlong and underdone melodrama about four mountain-climbing friends (Ryan Phillippe, Freddie Thorp, Hannah New, and Mathilde Warnier) who attempt to scale one of the world’s most challenging mountains but this turns into a life-or-death expedition when a deadly storm traps them near the summit with no hopes of survival. Some of the mountain scenery is well-captured by cinematographer Adam Hall but film otherwise strangely cuts back-and-forth in time structure and can’t seem to make up its mind whether it’s a harrowing survival story or a character melodrama and thus falters at both. Phillippe is rock-solid as usual but this film is hardly the “summit” of his career. Continue reading →
October 15, 2022 “The Accursed” (*1/2 out of four) was a laughably solemn horror thriller about a young woman (Sarah Grey) who is hired by a family friend (Mena Suvari) to look after an elderly woman (Meg Foster) in a remote cabin for a few days but she soon finds that there is a demon hiding in the woman that is trying to break free. Game performances from all involved but they don’t save the film from overall being dull. One scary image of a hand crawling out of a dead woman’s mouth at the end is the only thing that will likely grab your attention. Watch “The Accused” instead. Continue reading →
October 15, 2022 “Spirit Halloween: The Movie” (** out of four) was a fitfully engaging kids horror comedy about four friends (Donovan Colan, Jaiden J. Smith, Dylan Martin Frankel, Marissa Reyes) who spend Halloween locked inside the title store in a deserted strip mall but soon find out that they are going to have to use all their strength and horror-movie knowledge to survive. Thoroughly watchable movie aimed squarely at kids and hardcore consumers of the Spirit Halloween store but too bland for most others. Christopher Lloyd has a small but key role as a creepy villain. Continue reading →
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