December 10, 2022 “Violent Night” (** out of four) was an ungainly action thriller about a group of mercenaries (led by John Leguizamo) who break into the estate of a wealthy family (Beverly D’Angelo, Edi Patterson, and others) and it’s up to Santa Claus (David Harbour) to save the day and save Christmas. Fast-paced but utterly dumb and derivative. Film more than lives up to its title and some scenes are blatant homages/ripoffs of “Die Hard” and especially “Die Hard 2.” Incredibly, this was written by the same team responsible for “Sonic The Hedgehog”! Continue reading →
December 10, 2022 “Detective Knight: Redemption” (** out of four) was a clunky action potboiler about detective Knight (Bruce Willis) whose now in custody in NYC and in the midst of a violent jailbreak orchestrated by a deranged killer (Paul Johannson) and is given a deal that he can once again have his badge back if he can stop him and his crew from escaping and save the city. Second in the “Knight” series is no better and no worse than the first. Willis’ health issues are all-too-evident here and he has very little dialogue or screen time. Lochlyn Munro adds some style and sass as a crippled cop. Continue reading →
December 10, 2022 “All I Want For Christmas” (** out of four) was a predictable holiday comedy about a young girl (Sahjanan Nesser) whose sole wish for Christmas is that her two divorced parents (Erica Peeples and Christian Torres Villalobos) get back together but can Santa Claus (Terry Woodberry) help with this? A completely unnecessary remake of the 1991 disaster although in fairness this is better than that misfire. Still, though, by the end of this you may wish to the North Pole that Hollywood would stop with all these needless remakes. Continue reading →
December 10, 2022 “Darby And The Dead” (** out of four) was an uneasy teen melodrama about a high-schooler named Darby (Riele Downs) who finds that she can communicate with dead people after a near-death experience in childhood and she sets up a private practice (!) for this which makes her a social outcast and pariah in school. Not as bewildering and bizarre as it sounds and directed with flair and bounce by Silas Howard but still too strange to be fully enjoyed. Tony Danza actually has a supporting role and adds some pizazz as one of the main ghosts. Continue reading →
December 8, 2022 “Christmas Ransom” (** out of four) was a lightweight caper comedy about two bumbling crooks (Bridie McKim and Genevieve Lemon) who hijack an elaborate toy store and it’s up to 2 kids (Evan Stanhope and Tahlia Sturzaker) and a female security guard (Miranda Tapsell) to save the day and thus save Christmas. Holiday hybrid attempt of “Die Hard” and “Home Alone” is too silly to have much impact but at least it’s directed with flair by Adele Vuko and moves fast enough. Ideal for younger kids but awfully thin stuff for anyone else. Continue reading →
December 7, 2022 “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” (** out of four) was a vapid adaptation of D.H. Lawrence’s novel about an unhappily married aristocrat (Emma Corrin) who learns sexual liberation once she begins a heated affair with the gardener (Jack O’Connell) on her country estate. Plenty of sex and frank content like previous adaptations of this novel but film is visually and emotionally drab. Joely Richardson who previously starred in the BBC miniseries of this book here plays one of the character’s mothers. Continue reading →
December 6, 2022 “Savage Salvation” (*1/2 out of four) was a listless melodrama about a recovering drug addict (Jack Huston) whose fiancé (Willa Fitzgerald) dies from an overdose and he seeks vengeance and his own form of capital punishment on the dealers who “killed her”. Meanwhile, the town sheriff (Robert De Niro) and a self-help guru (John Malkovich) try to intervene and settle things. Interesting moral questions about overdoses and drug dealers and accountability are overshadowed by third hand script and general plot tedium. De Niro sleepwalks through his role and at nearly 80 is a tad old to be playing a sheriff and Malkovich is wasted again in another easy paycheck role. Film should offer little “salvation” to these legends or their fans. Continue reading →
December 4, 2022 “Metal Lords” (*** out of four) was an affecting coming-of-age drama about two friends (Jaeden Mitchell and Adrian Greensmith) who see heavy-metal as their salvation in life in their deadend town but this all leads to complications with a group of girls (Analesa Fisher and Isis Hainswort) who they meet. Not much plot per se as it wanders a little in its second half but agreeably performed and directed by Peter Sollett and script (from “Game Of Thrones” writer D.B. Weiss) has some scattered effective moments. Metal gods Scott Ian, Tom Morello, Kirk Hammett, and Rob Halford all show up in minor cameos and Morello was one of film’s executive producers. Continue reading →
December 4, 2022 “Death On The Nile” (**1/2 out of four) was a sleek follow-up to 2017’s “Murder On The Orient Express” about the continuing adventures of detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh who also directed) who is called in to investigate the murder of a young heiress (Emma Mackey). Whodunit? Well- it could be her former partner (Armie Hammer), her childhood best friend (Gal Gadot) who stole him from her, or various other members of their inner circle party (Annette Bening, Tom Bateman, and others). Intriguing and alluring most of the way but final third becomes disappointingly flat when the story should shift into high-gear and film’s ending is somewhat of an abrupt letdown. Still overall worthwhile for Branagh and Agatha Christie fans. Gadot stands out in the magnificent cast. Continue reading →
December 4, 2022 “Catch The Bullet” (** out of four) was a lackadaisical Western about a hard-nosed U.S. Marshall (Jay Pickett) who returns home from the trail and finds out that his young son (Mason McNulty) has been kidnapped by vicious criminals (Gattlin Griffith, Caldin Griffith, and others) and he sets out to retrieve him and settle a score. Another attempt at a neo-Western which has some nice moments but moves too ploddingly along it’s familiar trail and another film that cries out for Peckinpah, Leone, or Eastwood in their prime. Loosely based on the 30’s radio show “Powder River”. Continue reading →
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