February 5, 2023 “Fear” (** out of four) was a hokey horror thriller about a group of friends (Tyler Abron, Andrew Bachelor, T.I., and others) who go on a vacation getaway in the midst of the nationwide COVID pandemic and find their sanity unraveling as fear permeates all of them and turns them mentally inside-out. Interesting plot points about psychological duress that a lot of us remember at the dawn of the pandemic but end result isn’t satisfying, especially with its abrupt and obtuse ending. Game cast infuses as much energy as they can into a thin script. No relation to the Mark Wahlberg/Reese Witherspoon 1996 cult classic of the same name. Continue reading →
February 5, 2023 “Viking Wolf” (** out of four) was a passable horror thriller from Sweden about a teenager (Elli Rhiannon Muller Osborne) who relocates to a small village with her mother (Liv Mjones) whose a cop; when she is a key witness to a murder at a party she attends, she begins to suspect that the killer is a ravenous werewolf who will stop at nothing before it kills everybody and keeps it’s identity a secret. Director Stig Svendsen shows some promise and an alluring mood and style but it’s hampered by a routine and predictable story. Originally titled “Thriller” in reference to the famous Michael Jackson werewolf video but was wisely changed. Continue reading →
February 4, 2023 “Bring Out The Fear” (*1/2 out of four) was a limp horror suspense thriller set in Ireland about a couple (Ciara Bailey and James Devlin) who are having problems in their relationship and go on a romantic trip to the middle of the woods and find that they cannot leave and are being watched by ominous and evil forces and they have to reconcile and work together to survive. Had either of them watched “The Blair Witch Project” or even “The Cabin In The Woods” they would have survived and made it out no problem but that might be too much to ask. Film is poured thick with cliches without any conviction or style. Many international horror critics thought highly of this but I’m not one of them. “Bring Out The Script” would have been a much more apt title for this trifle. Continue reading →
February 4, 2023 “Find Her” (** out of four) was a muted suspense melodrama about a troubled cop (Nick McCallum) who arrives in a small Midwestern town to uncover the truth about a murdered ranch owner but finds that the pathway to solving this murder is a minefield of mixed agendas and motivations as he becomes involved with the ranch owner’s daughter (Anais Lilit) and mother (Rebecca Lines). Beautifully shot by Evan Zissimopolous on stunning locations but story has little intrigue, tension, or dramatic involvement. McCallum gives a game effort as actor/writer/director but viewers would best “find” another film to watch. Continue reading →
February 3, 2023 “Hoax: The True Story Of The Kidnapping Of Sherri Papini” (** out of four) was a hollow melodrama based on the true story of Sherri Papini (Jaime King) who disappeared for 3 weeks and then re-appeared and claimed she was abducted and abused by 2 women but there were immediate suspicions and doubts on the story which led to her later admitting she lied and orchestrated it all in a hoax. Interesting story based on actual events but Papini’s character motivations remain muddy and as a result film never fully grabs you as a whole. Feature film debut from director Marta Borowski who obviously watched “Gone Girl” a few times before filming this. Continue reading →
February 3, 2023 “The Mummy: Resurrection” (* out of four) was a lifeless “horror” thriller about a scheming huckster (Chris Bell) who uncovers a cursed Egyptian mummy and then becomes obsessed with unearthing the mummified princess who is buried within it but this eventually leads to all Hell breaking loose. It’s unclear if this is related to or a spin-off of the lucrative “Mummy” series or an insulting cash-in on simply using the title. Probably the latter because the movie has about as much mummy action and scares as your average soap opera on television. This stupefyingly dull entry makes any of the other “Mummy” entries and the Tom Cruise remake look like Oscar fare by comparison. Continue reading →
February 3, 2023 “Alice, Darling” (** out of four) was an exceedingly aloof melodrama about a woman (Anna Kendrick) in a troubled relationship with her husband (Charlie Carrick) who goes away on vacation with her two friends (Kaniehtiio Horn and Wunmi Mosaku) which turns out to be an intervention to help her realize she is at a crossroads in life. Kendrick is good playing a woman battling a variety of psychological struggles but story isn’t very moving or compelling, maybe because her husband never seems all that difficult or evil. Obvious parallels to “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” and other more incisive films about abusive relationships and trauma (“The Burning Bed”, “No One Would Tell”). Directorial debut of actress Mary Nighy. Continue reading →
February 3, 2023 “Werewolf Cabal” (* out of four) was an inept horror thriller about an American author (Derek Evans) who travels to a rural town in the UK and uncovers a ravenous group of werewolves that threaten mankind. Practically worthless movie zig-zags between horror and offbeat comedy but falters miserably at both and is a real snooze. Title might be an allusion to Clive Barker’s horror story “Cabal” but the movie this might remind you most of is “The Howling”. Continue reading →
February 3, 2023 “Undeaducated” (* out of four) was a deadly horror comedy about a group of high-school students (Alex Pawlica, Corinne Rogers, Maddie Baylor) at night school when the zombie apocalypse starts and they’re unsure whether it’s part of their training or a prank set up by the school. Cleverest thing about this trifle is it’s title; otherwise it seems made by uneducated morons. Terrible acting and failed attempts at dark humor sink this mess. Continue reading →
February 3, 2023 “Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey” (** out of four) was a curiously bland horror thriller about Christopher Robin (Nikolai Leon) who grows up and goes to college and this enrages both Pooh and Piglet (Craig David Dowsett and Chris Cordell) and sets them off on a bloodthirsty rampage! The novelty of seeing the cute Disney characters as homicidal killers quickly wears thin and some of the movie is so dark you literally can’t tell what’s going on; even when you can decipher the action, though, film is pretty routine and basic. What’s next? A slasher movie about Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck? Continue reading →
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