February 25, 2023 “Ice Road Killer” (** out of four) was an undernourished suspense thriller about a mother and daughter (Sarah Allen and Erica Anderson) on a trip up to an isolated cabin in the frigid North and pick up a hitchhiker (Zoe Belkin) who is on the run from a vicious murderer (Michael Swatton) and soon find themselves targeted by him as they try to turn the tables on him to survive. Beautiful locations in Canada and vibrant cinematography from William Smith unfortunately are in service of a routine story in which the twists-and-turns are tough to care about. Solid performances from all three leads are melted away by film’s thin screenplay. Continue reading →
February 25, 2023 “Mad Heidi” (*** out of four) was a gonzo action sci/fi comedy about a Swiss mountain girl (Alice Lucy) who is abducted by vicious government troops (led by Casper Van Dien) and must try to escape and break free and take part in a worldwide war fueled over greed over cheese! Wildly over-the-the-top movie winks at the audience nonstop with its garish comedy and in-your-face violence but it never stops being entertaining because it is always in on the joke and never stops moving. Directors Johannes Hartmann and Sandro Klopfstein throw in multiple homages to grindhouse cinema in this unexpectedly fun sleeper. Continue reading →
February 24, 2023 “Kingdom Of The Dinosaurs” (** out of four) was a passable action thriller set in 2030 after WWIII in which a group of survivors (Darcie Rose, Mark Haldor, Stephen Staley, and others) make it into a survival bunker and stay hidden for two years and upon getting free- they attempt to find new supplies but instead are preyed upon by ravenous dinosaurs who are bloodthirsty and vicious. Not bad for what it is, with some well-done visual effects and chase scenes, but never quite transcends mediocrity or its obvious story origins. Yet another Roger Corman version of “Jurassic Park” although somewhat better than most. Continue reading →
February 24, 2023 “Dangerous Medicine” (*1/2 out of four) was a dangerously predictable suspense thriller about a man (Chris Cimperman) who loses his legs in a car crash and is helped and nursed back to care by a physical therapist (Leann Van Mol) but his daughter (Chloe Stafford) soon begins to worry that the therapist is (what else?) not who she says she is and is trying to overturn his life. Glossy thriller looks slick and attractive but is obvious at every turn and gets pretty silly especially towards its final twist. Continue reading →
February 23, 2023 “Hider In My House” (** out of four) was a trite suspense melodrama about a best-selling author (Meghan Carrasquillo) who moves into what she thinks is the apartment of her dreams but soon finds that there may be sinister rumblings in the walls and she soon uncovers a shocking and sinister revelation that she never could have imagined. Film is well-made and well-acted but is undone by its hokey storyline which becomes overly predictable. Hardly the worst of its ilk but hardly memorable either. Continue reading →
February 23, 2023 “Red Winter” (** out of four) was a lukewarm action melodrama about a bickering couple (Doris Morgado and Rockmond Dunbar) who decide to take a getaway trip in the Colorado mountains but soon find themselves witnesses to a murder and find themselves on the run until they turn the tables on the killers and turn the attacked into the attackers. Competently made and filmed but film offers nothing that “Cliffhanger” (or even “Surviving The Game”) did- and did better- about 3 decades ago. Dustin Diamond’s crisp cinematography is an undeniable standout throughout. Continue reading →
February 22, 2023 “Trapped With My Husband” (*1/2 out of four) was a mean-spirited and illogical suspense thriller about a woman (Camille Stopps) who meets a guy who seems like yet another Mr. Wonderful (Jacob Richter); flash forward 3 years and they are in the process of a bitter divorce but while they are finalizing this he turns up dead and all eyes turn on her. Yet another thriller which anyone will be able to predict within the first 10 minutes and film’s final third becomes grinding and stupid. Stopps is sincere in the lead role but she’s “trapped” herself by ridiculous script and story. Continue reading →
February 21, 2023 “Night Of The Falling Stars” (*1/2 out of four) was a dismal horror comedy about a group of young folks (Alondra Amore, Jessie Kennedy Brown, Brickland Carter, and others) who stumble onto an invasion of aliens who are converting humans on Earth into man-eating monsters that threaten to devour and engulf the planet. Directors Renee Warren Peeples and Bobby Peeples seem to be trying for something in the vein of “Shaun Of The Dead” here but bad writing and acting and chintzy filmmaking stop film dead in its tracks. One-time “Goonies” star Robert Davi has a minor role as a heroic soldier but judging from this effort, his own star seems to be significantly falling. Continue reading →
February 20, 2023 “Baby Ruby” (*1/2 out of four) was a stillborn suspense psychodrama about a young woman (Noemie Merlant) who becomes a mother for the first time with the title child and finds herself mentally unraveling. Is this post-partum depression or a sign of something more severe? Dour and drab movie covers all-too-familiar terrain from “Rosemary’s Baby”, “The Exorcist”, “The Shining”, and too many others to mention. Disappointing directorial debut for noted playwright Bess Wohl who is hampered by tired material. Continue reading →
February 20, 2023 “The Integrity Of Joseph Chambers” (* out of four) was a bewildering bore about a family man (Clayne Crawford) who attempts to prove his survivalist capabilities and his manliness by going off into the wilderness by himself deer-hunting and trying to figure out how long he can survive on his own! A perfect film for anyone who ever wanted to watch a character walk around the woods with almost no dialogue for an hour-and-a-half. Oscar Ignacio-Jimenez’ cinematography is sharp and crisp but otherwise you’ve been warned. Jordana Brewster has a bizarre cameo role as his wife but exits the movie fast and furiously after the beginning. Continue reading →
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