Month: July 2023

“Wham!” (***1/2 out of four) was an excellent biography of the title ’80’s pop duo of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley who went onto international superstardom but underneath the pop gloss and screaming fans Michael’s sexuality and desire to be taken more seriously as a solo artist led to their breakup. A very interesting documentary even for those who were not fans of Wham or Michael’s music and may not have realized just how big Wham was; full of great behind-the-scenes moments and interviews and features dynamic commentary from Ridgeley and also edits in various commentary from Michael before he passed.

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“Insidious: The Red Door” (** out of four) was a tired entry in this endless popular horror series set 9 years later after the previous entry about the family patriarch (Patrick Wilson) whose son (Ty Simpkins) is starting college but who is still haunted by visions and hallucinations from the past and attempts to finalize them once and for all. Fifth entry in this series is allegedly a direct sequel to the second entry and has a few minor scares but is really more-of-the-same and for die-hard fans of the series. Wilson also directed and does a respectable job in his debut but is undercut by material that is now past its expiration date.

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“Super Volcano” (**1/2 out of four) was a diverting if forgettable disaster-action thriller set on the islands of Hawaii as a gigantic volcano threatens mass destruction and a team of experts (Ashley Ahlquist, Grant Bower, Ace Christensen, and others) race against the clock to save the people of the island from the never-ending flow of fire and lava. Fast-paced and full of overall decent effects for fans of disaster movies who aren’t too demanding. This won’t make anyone forget 1997’s superior (and similarly titled) “Volcano”, as script and story are pretty nondescript, but it’s an overall an efficient time-filler.

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“Alabama Rose” (** out of four) was a wilted character melodrama about a young woman (Cayla Green) whose husband dies and finds renewed meaning and passion in her life being a model but starts to grow wary and suspicious of the various photographers and business people (Michael Pare, Mark Justice, and others) she crosses paths with. Interesting storyline about starting over and finding a new path in life is undercut by muddled and obtuse framework as film is limited in its emotional scope and power. Co-writer/executive producer J Spencer based this on his own experiences as a model photographer.

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“Little Bone Lodge” (*1/2 out of four) was a joyless horror melodrama about 2 criminal brothers (Harry Cadpy and Neil Linpow) on the run in the midst of a vicious thunderstorm who seek refuge in a desolate farmhouse and take the family (Joely Richardson, Sadie Soverall, and Roger Ajogbe) hostage but soon find that they picked the wrong house to invade. Yet another rip-off of “Desperate Hours” and “The Purge” and virtually other home-invasion thriller you’ve seen but without much energy or spark. Linpow also wrote the script; Job Reineke’s magnificent and gloomy cinematography is one of film’s few assets.

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“Skinford: Death Sentence” (** out of four) was a grisly horror thriller about a young man (Joshua Brennan) who is trying to save his dying father (Ric Herbert) by stealing and selling a mystery truck but soon runs into trouble when he encounters a woman (Charlotte Best) who becomes immortal when anyone touches her and soon the bodies start piling up. Offbeat and features some dark and macabre touches that make this not totally without interest but too slight and superficial to make a real impression. Third in the “Skinford” series for anyone keeping a tally.

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“Hunt Club” (* out of four) was an abysmal action potboiler about a group of wealthy hunters (Casper Van Dien, Mickey Rourke, Will Peltz, and others) who regularly lure women to a private island and then hunt them but this time they messed with 2 tough cookies (Mena Suvari and Maya Stojan) and soon realize that they themselves have become the hunted. One more rip-off of “Surviving The Game” which in itself was a rip-off of “The Most Dangerous Game” but terrible direction and leaden storytelling makes this almost unsurvivable. Film features a collection of once-hot ’90’s stars (Van Dien, Suvari, Rourke) but judging from this they ought to be out there “hunting” for better scripts.

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“My Professor’s Guide To Murder” (*1/2 out of four) was a senseless and stupid suspense thriller about a creative writing graduate student (Rae DeRosa) who becomes the assistant to a new professor (Landon Ashworth) who is a celebrity murder mystery writer but she soon becomes suspicious that he might be a murderer himself and has to watch his every move. Badly acted and staged and is often laughable at times. Director Haylie Duff (sister of Hillary) strains to build tension but based on this effort she’s not exactly a “professor” of filmmaking yet.

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“Run Rabbit Run” (** out of four) was a moody but muted melodrama about a fertility doctor (Sarah Snook) who believes in life after death but starts to experience strange occurrences with her young child (Lily LaTorre) which challenges her own beliefs and leads to her having to confront a ghostly figure (Greta Scacchi) from her own past. Good performances and atmospheric lensing from Bonnie Elliot keep you watching for a while until you realize film is going nowhere and taking you right along with it. Screenwriting debut for Australian novelist Hannah Kent. Film is the third film with the same title in the last 15 years.

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