December 31, 2023 “The Woodmen” (** out of four) was a slight horror psychodrama about a few friends (Anna Clary, Dan Grogan, and others) who realize that an urban legend of mutant creatures in the Smoky Mountains is real and they have to find a way out of the woods to escape. Not the worst of its kind, with some scares and intelligent dialogue, but still seems overly derived (i.e. ripped off) from “The Blair Witch Project.” OK for what it is. Continue reading →
December 30, 2023 “The Killing Room” (*1/2 out of four) was a vapid suspense psychodrama about four individuals (Nick Cannon, Chloe Sevigny, Timothy Hutton, and Clea Duvall) who sign up for a government research program under a sinister administrator (Peter Stormare) and realize all-too-late the program’s underlying malicious intentions. Good cast is wasted on an unpleasant story that gets slower and talkier as it goes along. Made in 2009 and being re-released now for unknown reasons but all it does is “kill” your time. Continue reading →
December 30, 2023 “Raging Grace” (*1/2 out of four) was a graceless horror thriller about a young Filipina immigrant (Max Eigenmann) who gets hired as a caretaker for a terminally ill older man (David Hayman) but soon finds that there are dark secrets in his home that threatens to overtake her psychological stability and sanity. Film takes forever to get going and is pretty familiar and basic even when it does. Amazingly, this won an award at the SXSW Festival. Viewers will likely find more scares by re-watching “Raging Bull” instead. Continue reading →
December 30, 2023 “The Last Page” (* out of four) was a terminally treacly soaper about a pair of twin brothers (Madison Bills and Andrew Biasotti) who are on the run but find solage and refuge with a family in Utah involving a loving young woman (Tara Berrett) and the dying patriarch (Link Lindquist) of the family and find that they are all able to ease one another with their various pains and problems in life. Seemingly endless film is suffocating with self-importance and hokey plot dynamics and winds up an earnest and empty bore. By the end, you may feel as if you spent an endless eternity in Sunday school. Continue reading →
December 30, 2023 “A Roommate To Die For” (*1/2 out of four) was a laughably obvious suspense melodrama about a successful businesswoman (Angela Cole) who goes through a bitter breakup and decides to take in a new housemate (Zane Haney) who seems like Mr. Perfect until she realizes that something is very wrong with him and no matter how psychotic he is- she can’t evict him and that the law isn’t on her side! Thoroughly predictable thriller with multiple contrivances and logic gaps. Decent performances can’t begin to save it. Similar story told far more skillfully and suspensefully in 1990’s “Pacific Heights.” Continue reading →
December 29, 2023 “Devil On My Doorstep” (*1/2 out of four) was a fizzled suspense melodrama about a successful self-help influencer (Jenna Dewan) who meets a charming delivery-man (Steve Kazee) who (yawn) develops an escalating obsession with her that progresses to duplicity and murder. Cliche-strewn plot without any surprises or sparks, except for anyone who never saw “Fatal Attraction” (whoever you are). Dewan and Kazee are actually married in real life which is somewhat curious because they have little to no chemistry together in this trifle. Close the door on this clunker. Continue reading →
December 29, 2023 “Creepypasta” (*1/2 out of four) was a curdled horror psychodrama about a man (Joie Bauer) who awakens in an abandoned house with no clue as to how he got there but is given a series of disturbing and lurid videos to watch which gradually infect his mind and overtake him. Feeble imitation of both “Saw” and “V/H/S” and full of artificial ingredients and empty calories. Final third at least provides some jumps and scares but film as a whole is an empty platter. Continue reading →
December 28, 2023 “Bermuda Island” (0 stars out of four) was a mind-numbingly awful schlock horror comedy about a group of none-too-bright passengers (John Wells, Sarah French, Greg Tally, and others) on a flight to Bermuda whose plane crashlands at sea and they are mauled and preyed upon by a bloodthirsty creature (actually a guy in a very bad gorilla suit). Tawdry and tacky from beginning to end with abysmal acting and dreadful dialogue being the extra icing on the moldy cake. Tom Sizemore is/was wasted in a quick-paycheck cameo but let’s be nice and said this was a long way from “Saving Private Ryan” and “Heat.” Continue reading →
December 28, 2023 “Rise Of The Footsoldier: Vengeance” (*1/2 out of four) was a benumbed entry in this wearisome series about the continuing violent adventures of Pat Tate (Craig Fairbrass) whose loyal friend dies and he ventures back into the grimy underbelly of the London crime world to enact bloody revenge. Sixth entry in this brutal series is best left for fans only and is pretty dull, despite all the shootings and bloodshed. Even Fairbrass seems to be mostly just going through the motions here. Lively soundtrack (kudos to A Flock Of A Seagulls “I Ran” at the end) gives this its only rush. Continue reading →
December 27, 2023 “The Wraith Within” (* out of four) was absolute junk about a group of friends (Wesley Blake, Frankie Romero, Dimitrius, Pulido, and others) who embark on a weekend getaway when a nefarious evil emerges and threatens to overtake them all while a world-weary sheriff (Michael Madsen) tries to sort everything out. So-called homage to ’80’/90’s sci/fi movies is inept at every turn and offers zero in the way of thrills or scares. Madsen sleepwalks his way through his umpteenth role as a cop. Byetheway- this has no relation to the Charlie Sheen cult classic “The Wraith” despite similar titles and stories. Continue reading →
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