April 26, 2023 “The Bricks” (** out of four) was a fairly routine urban-pulp thriller about a detective (Dakarai Akil) who goes undercover in the bowels of Houston to uncover a nest of trafficking and drug distribution but finds that he may be in over his head when he is faced with temptations, divided loyalties, and diversions of his own as all this may lead back to a nefarious kingpin (Khalil Kain) who is still in prison and a woman (Dee Hill- who is a dead-ringer for Ciara) he knows on the streets. Built brick-for-brick (no pun intended) on the cliches of countless other urban thrillers although it’s fast-paced enough to make it watchable. Genre fans will recognize Khain as one of the co-stars of “Juice” but this film pales in comparison to that film’s “juice” and electricity. Continue reading →
April 26, 2023 “The Tank” (**1/2 out of four) was a better-than-average horror thriller about a seemingly happy married couple (Matt Whelan and Lucianne Buchanan) who inherit a beautiful coastal property; initially, they’re exhilirated until they soon realize that they have unearthed- and unleashed- a demonic creature who has been buried for centuries and now is ravenous and blood-thirsty. Ultimately too derivative of too many other horror pics (“The Descent” in particular) and too protracted at nearly two hours but is suspenseful and well-made and does feature some scares and chills. A mixed bag overall but good of its kind and worth it for horror junkies. Continue reading →
April 25, 2023 “The Obscured” (*1/2 out of four) was an insipid psychodrama about a woman (Jocelyn Saenz) suffering from bipolar disorder and other mental health issues who must rely on fragmented memories and flashbacks to gradually piece together the murder of her lover (Mark Simich) while she starts to unravel in the middle of an endless desert. Impressive sun-baked cinematography by Colten Currey is a highlight throughout but film is muddled and obtuse without much of a payoff and it doesn’t end, so much as stop. The film equivalent of a jigsaw puzzle not worth putting together. Saenz tries in a difficult role but this one should plummet into “obscurity” pretty soon. Continue reading →
April 25, 2023 “Acidman” (** out of four) was a wan melodrama about a young woman (Dianna Agron) who feels lost in life and tracks down her estranged and reclusive father (Thomas Haden Church) and they begin to make progress at cultivating a relationship for the first time after years of being apart. Both Agron and Church are good and work well together but script and story are more meandering than incisive. After a while, there’s just not much to sustain story interest and involvement. Might have worked better as a two-character play than as a feature film. Continue reading →
April 24, 2023 “Legacy Peak” (**1/2 out of four) was an amiable, agreeable kid’s adventure about an explorer (Lucas Black) on a trip with his partner’s children (Kyleigh Baker and Roman Engel) when their plane crashlands in the woods and they have to trust one another and fight for survival. Likeable story is no great shakes but earnestly performed and full of positive morals and ideals for children. Beautiful outdoor cinematography by Ryan Spacone is a highlight throughout. Continue reading →
April 24, 2023 “Breakout” (*1/2 out of four) was a threadbare suspense thriller about a retired Black Ops agent (Louis Mandylor) who squares off against a criminal mastermind (Brian Krause) who has taken control of a maximum security prison while various cops (Tom Sizemore, Victor DiMattia, and others) outside struggle to seize control. Thoroughly routine “Die Hard”/”Olympus Has Fallen” rip-off and not even the action scenes are all that well-staged. Krause is unconvincing as a diabolical crimelord; the late Sizemore is wasted in one of his final film roles. Continue reading →
April 24, 2023 “Maneater” (* out of four) was a toothless horror potboiler about a group of friends (Nicky Whelan, Porscha Coleman, Kelly Lynn Reiter, and others) who are besieged by a ravenous shark and it’s up to a seasoned professional (Trace Adkins) to come out to sea and save them. One more unnecessary addition in the seemingly endless glut of killer-shark movies with little style, scares, humor, or much of anything else. Country music star Adkins does what he can here but unfortunately this just isn’t going to elevate his acting career to the “big time”. Continue reading →
April 24, 2023 “As Good As Dead” (** out of four) was a muffled action thriller about a former cop turned MMA fighting instructor (Michael Jai White) who trains a young boy (Michael Copon) to fight but this subsequently leads to an imprisoned crime kingpin (Tom Berenger) finding out his whereabouts and enacting revenge and targeting him for death. Fairly efficient with enough hand-to-hand combat and gunfights for fans but never rises above the routine. Berenger is wasted in a role that seems to be an elderly version of the 3 wise men he played in “Training Day”. Continue reading →
April 23, 2023 “A Nurse To Die For” (** out of four) was a synthetic suspense thriller about a father (Jeremy John Wells) who hires a nurse (Allison McAttee) to take care of his sickly daughter (Hailey Gray) but soon finds out (what else?) that she is a sociopathic nutjob who is continuing to keep their daughter sick so she can overtake all their lives. Utterly generic thriller right down to its title with the usual gaps in logic and predictable plot twists. Attractively lit and shot by Thomas L. Callaway and competently acted but still another example of going to the well too often. Continue reading →
April 23, 2023 “Ghosted” (*** out of four) was a swift romantic action adventure about a young farmer (Chris Evans) who has a chance meeting with a girl (Ana de Armas) and they have a great night out together but he subsequently finds out she is a secret agent for the C.I.A. and they are soon swept up in international spy espionage involving a ruthless arms dealer (Adrian Brody). Slickly done story in the vein of “Romancing The Stone” is carried along by the strong chemistry and camaraderie between Evans and de Armas who is sensational and cool-to-the-touch in what could be a star-making role. Undeniably silly at times but never stops moving and being light on its feet. Continue reading →
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