March 31, 2023 “Damaged Goods” (**1/2 out of four) was a ruminating but remote melodrama about a young woman (Hannah Alline) whose life is unraveling who is contacted about her estranged father (Danny Vinson) who sexually abused her and scarred her for life and now needs part of her liver to survive and she is in a moral and personal quandary of whether to forgive him and save his life or let him perish. Affecting story about forgiveness and betrayal and the various scars from childhood trauma and abuse but story never hits the emotional crescendo that it should and ending is overly pat. Some scattered effective moments and solid performances by both Alline and Vinson still make it worthwhile. Continue reading →
March 30, 2023 “Home Not Alone” (*1/2 out of four) was a claptrap suspense thriller about a woman (Andrea Bogart) and her young daughter (Maya Jenson) who move into a beautiful new house and find that the former owner (Adam Huss) is a serious sicko who refuses to let go of the property and still resides there, without them knowing it. Title is relatively clever but all ingenuity ends there, as script gets more ridiculous by the minute and film’s ending is bewildering and stupid. You may want to actually watch “Home Alone” (or any of its sequels) for more thrills and scares than this timewaster. Continue reading →
March 29, 2023 “Puppet Master: Doktor Death” (* out of four) was a dreadful entry in this inexplicably popular and endless series about the return of the return of the title murderer who pops up at a senior-care facility involving various nurses and patients (Melissa Moore, Rick Montgomery Jr, Laura Dennis, and others) and mayhem ensues. Unfortunately, the puppet itself is the best actor and performance here because most other performances and filmmaking are painful. Horror fans would best watch a “Muppets” re-run for more scares and more laughs. Someone please put this series to “death” before more sequels are made. Continue reading →
March 29, 2023 “Every Breath She Takes” (*1/2 out of four) was a flimsy suspense thriller about a businesswoman (Tamala Jones) in an abusive relationship with her overbearing husband (Brian White) and thinks she has finally escaped him after a deadly fire at their house but she soon begins to see various visions and hallucinations of him. Are they real or are they signs that she is losing her mind? Or more to the point- does anyone care? Pretty weak psychodrama attempts to incorporate various themes of PTSD, domestic violence, and stalking but it’s all ineffectual. Tisha Campbell is wasted in a small role as a hard-nosed detective with a terrible wig. Continue reading →
March 28, 2023 “Twisted Sister” (*1/2 out of four) was a clunky suspense thriller about a successful career woman (Mena Suvari) who seems to have the perfect life with her husband (Mark Famiglietti) until a mysterious stranger (Joy Nash) shows up out of nowhere claiming to be her long-lost half-sister and turns her life upside down. Laughably obvious and predictable thriller done without much conviction or style and thus little reason for watching. It’s doubftul this was named after the famous band of the same name but you’ll likely be waiting for Dee Snider to show up at any time and start cursing them out and kicking ass. One-time American beauty Suvari needs to start picking better roles. Continue reading →
March 27, 2023 “Pinball: The Man Who Saved The Game” (** out of four) was a superficial mock-documentary set in the current day in which Roger Sharpe (Dennis Boutsikaris) reflects back to 1976 in which he (played at a younger age by Mike Faist) came from the Midwest and was determined to challenge and overturn NYC’s ban on pinball machines, no matter how many political and personal enemies he made. Not exactly the grandest or greatest story to tell about how pinball machines were saved and restored and it’s hard to get a sense on why Sharpe set out on this quest in the first place. Directed with some bounce by Austin and Meredith Bragg and filled with some good ’70’s soundtrack nuggets but film practically evaporates while you’re watching it. Continue reading →
March 27, 2023 “Gunfight At Rio Bravo” (*1/2 out of four) was a slipshod Western melodrama about a Russian gunslinger (Alexander Nevsky) who attempts to help a marshal (Oliver Gruner) and a sheriff (Joe Cornet who also directed) against a vicious outlaw gang (led by Matthias Hues) when they invade and threaten to take over their small East Texas town. Cheaply done Western covers the usual bases (saloon fights, gun standoffs, etc.) without much flair or fire. Title is an obvious hybrid of classics “Gunfight At O.K. Corral” and “Rio Bravo” but this still mostly fires all blanks. Continue reading →
March 26, 2023 “John Wick: Chapter 4” (** out of four) was a bloated fourth entry in this blockbuster series about the indestructible title assassin (Keanu Reeves) who finds a path to defeating the High Table but must first square off against a series of deadly assassins every bit as ruthless and severe as he is. Director Chad Stahelski bathes this in the same extravagant flash and style as the previous entries (and there are great scenes) and throws in homages to Sergio Leone, John Woo, and Reeves’ own “The Matrix”….but it’s insanely overlong at nearly three hours and much like previous entries feels like you’re watching an endless video game after a while. Enough action and style to satisfy fans of the series but enough is enough by now. Continue reading →
March 26, 2023 “Dungeons And Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” (** out of four) was a hollow adaptation of the legendary video/board game about a rogue thief (Chris Pine) and a series of followers (Michelle Rodriguez, Rege-Jean Page, and others) who embark on a journey to retrieve a lost relic but encumber obstacles and treachery at every turn especially when they come up against Ford Fitzwilliam (Hugh Grant) and his team of dragons and demons. Lots of dungeons and dragons but film is surprisingly dull for the first hour or so; it jump-starts again every now and then and features some great visual effects but never detonates with any awe or wonder. You can’t help but think how this brings back memories of “Raiders Of The Lost Ark”, “The Mummy”, “Pan’s Labyrinth”, and also “Labyrinth” at times. Continue reading →
March 25, 2023 “Kill Her Goats” (*1/2 out of four) was a gruesome horror show about a woman (Arielle Raycene) who recently graduates from school and her graduation gift turns out to be her long-term dream house but upon moving in- she finds out (yawn) some nearby killers want her out by any murderous means necessary. Umpteenth entry in the killer-in-the-woods/damsel-in-distress/crazy-redneck genre. Plenty of blood and gore for those who demand it but zero in the way of originality. Writer/director Steve Wolsh even dares to have her watching the original “Night Of The Living Dead”, a reminder when these types of movies were actually chilling and fun. Continue reading →
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