January 21, 2024 “The Harbinger” (*1/2 out of four) was horror-movie hokum about a determined father (Will Klipstine) whose daughter (Madeline McGraw) may be faced with eternal damnation and seeks exorcism and spiritual guidance from a Native American seer (Irene Bedard) but this puts them all in a crossfire to Hell. Or something like that. Star/director/co-writer/co-producer Klipstine bears most of the blame for this gooey and pretentious mess. Overlong and overbaked and unintentionally laughable at times. Even still, Klipstine won Best Director at last year’s Crypticon Festival. Continue reading →
January 20, 2024 “The Kitchen” (*1/2 out of four) was a misfired futuristic thriller set in yet another dystopian future in London in which social housing has been eliminated and two residents (Kano and Jedaiah Bannerman) fight to stay in their title community which refuses to abandon its roots and go along with corporate and political tyranny. Both over and underdone with clumsy social commentary and directed with leaden grandiloquence by Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares. Film won some awards at London Film Festival but is a real long slog. Continue reading →
January 20, 2024 “Bring Him To Me” (*1/2 out of four) was a slovenly pulp melodrama about a grizzled getaway driver (Barry Pepper) who is forced to pick up a passenger (Jamie Costa) and drive him on a long road to an ambush execution but the two naturally form a bond and face numerous unexpected hurdles on the long road ahead. Seemingly endless movie moves aimlessly at first and covers a course of all-too-familiar material as it winds to an inevitable and bloody conclusion. Final spectacular car chase (with homages to “The Road Warrior”) can’t save it. It’s great to see the talented Pepper in a lead role again but this is unlikely to “bring him” back to former glory. Continue reading →
January 19, 2024 “Hellhound” (**1/2 out of four) was a flavorful yet flawed action melodrama about an elite hitman (Louis Mandylor) who is hired to take down a brutal kingpin and makes one error that turns him into a marked man which leads to all-out warfare on the streets of Thailand. Gritty story of a conflicted hitman with Mandylor in one of his strongest performances and features enough solid action setpieces but is limited by it’s one-dimensional script and story. Still, better than most of its genre and better than “Bangkok Dangerous” which it sometimes resembles. Continue reading →
January 19, 2024 “Clown Motel” (*1/2 out of four) was a debased horror thriller about a young woman (Juliana Destefano) who returns home to help her family re-obtain their Native American holdings and heritage but finds the title clown motel has been erected on their land with a loony owner (Tobin Bell) and various other individuals (Randy Couture, Richard Grieco, and others) thrown in the mix. Low-rent from beginning to end and also low on scares and also brains. With nothing much more substantial being offered to him, it’s no wonder Bell keeps electing to continue making “Saw” movies. Continue reading →
January 18, 2024 “Wanted Man” (**1/2 out of four) was a not-bad action melodrama about a grizzled border officer (Dolph Lundgren) who has to find and retrieve an important eyewitness (Christina Villa) after a vicious cartel shooting leaves multiple agents dead but has to find whether to trust his friends and fellow officers (Kelsey Grammar, Michael Pare, and others) when he discovers the attack was made by American forces. Lundgren also directed and gives one of his better performances in a story that harks back to prime Peckinpah and mid-period Walter Hill. Imperfect to be sure due to its flimsy script but well-made and engaging. Sacha Chaban’s stirring music score is also another definite plus. Continue reading →
January 17, 2024 “Outrage” (** out of four) was a bombastic character melodrama about a group of politicians and media (Julie Gayet, Clemens Schick, and others) who meet for a private dinner but soon find soon realize they have fallen into a deadly trap and that the host and preparers (Jay O. Sanders, Adelaide Kane, and others) have a sinister and ulterior agenda. Too dour and serious to be fun and too cartoonish and goofy to be taken seriously and ends up a fizzle. Film marks the directorial debut for noted film producer Mathiew Bonzon. Continue reading →
January 15, 2024 “Soulcatcher” (**1/2 out of four) was a fairly entertaining pulp action melodrama about a military contractor (Piotr Witkowski) hired to seize a weapon that turns others into savage killers but when his own brother falls victim to the device, the mission becomes personal and he seeks to kill those who were its creators. Ultimately limited by its genre conventions and lack of expansive scope due to its modest budget but is fast-paced and features enough scares and action to make it decent fare. Continue reading →
January 14, 2024 “Unwelcome” (*1/2 out of four) was an unwieldy horror melodrama about a married couple (Hannah John Kamen and Douglas Booth) who decide to start a new life for themselves in Ireland but soon meet a nefarious neighbor (Colm Meaney) and discover malevolent and murderous goblins lurking in the mist. Meandering and plodding story takes a long while to get off the ground and even when it does- it’s pretty feeble and formulaic and then goes on too long. Meaney is solid as usual but he can play a role like this in his sleep by now. Continue reading →
January 14, 2024 “True Justice: Family Ties” (** out of four) was a sputtering suspense melodrama about a law school student (Katherine McNamara) whose brother (Markian Tarasiuk) who is convicted of murder; she then sets out to clear his name but finds that the only way to do this is by hitting the streets and finding the real killer who is still at large. Good performance from McNamara and efficient filmmaking and direction give this maximum mileage but they’re all hindered by mediocre script and story. Final plot twist is particularly weak, for anyone who stays with this that far. Continue reading →
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