February 21, 2024 “Puppet Killer” (* out of four) was a toothless satire of horror movies that simply kills your time and brain cells; at an isolated cabin, several friends (Aleks Paunovic, Lee Nadjoub, and others) are stalked by a psychotic killer who is obsessed with former horror movies and their icons which results in multiple annoying in-jokes and film references. Throwback of sorts to the classic “Scream” except that movie (and most of its sequels) were made with wit, craft, and good scares which this severely lacks. Pretty brutal. Continue reading →
February 20, 2024 “One Life” (**1/2 out of four) was a reverent but never revelatory biographical melodrama about Sir Nicholas Winton (Johnny Flynn) who was a young London broker who in the months leading up to World War II rescued over 600 children from Czechoslovakia which was dominated by the Nazis and the film crosscuts between him as a younger man and then older adult (Anthony Hopkins). Literate and intelligent film about an interesting figure in war history but never quite as riveting or compelling as it should have been. Film has some similarities to story of “Schindler’s List” but is never as emotionally charged or mesmerizing as that 1993 classic. Continue reading →
February 19, 2024 “Double Blind” (*** out of four) was an unexpectedly creepy and effective horror psychodrama about various test subjects (Millie Brady, Akshay Kumar, Diarmuid Noyes, and others) of an experimental drug in a secluded facility who realize the terrifying side effect that if you fall asleep you die and they all try to collectively stay awake and preserve their sanity while trying to stay alive. Edgy and tense story places its shock and gore scenes with solid skill and never loses its grip. Unlike most other movies of this caliber, it’s also very well-acted and doesn’t overstay its welcome at an hour-and-a-half. Continue reading →
February 19, 2024 “Madame Web” (*** out of four) was a superior Marvel comic-book adaptation about an EMT worker (Dakota Johnson) who has a near-death experience and begins to demonstrate signs of clairvoyance and realizes she needs to save three teenagers (Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, Celeste O’Connor) from a deadly adversary (Tahar Rahim) who becomes a threat to NYC as a whole. Well-told as it neatly weaves in character development with the expected spectacular special effects and action in its second half. Anchored like a rock by Johnson who gives another first-rate performance. Unfairly maligned by most critics and fun for Marvel and comic-book fans. Continue reading →
February 19, 2024 “No Way Up” (**1/2 out of four) was a fairly engrossing action thriller about a group of people (Colm Meaney, Phyllis Logan, Will Attenborough, and others) who are on a plane together which crashlands into the Pacific Ocean and have to fight for survival as deadly sharks swim aboard and the plane’s oxygen starts rapidly depleting. Derivative to be sure of other plane-survival movies (“Snakes On A Plane” at times to be sure) but good of its kind with a harrowing plane crash sequence. Continue reading →
February 17, 2024 “Baghead” (*1/2 out of four) was a moribund mess about a young woman (Freya Allan) who inherits a run-down pub but discovers the title evil entity (Anne Muler) lurking in its basement which enables you to talk to lost loved-ones but has severe paranormal consequences on all involved. Stupefyingly dull pileup of gloomy horror movie cliches about possession and the paranormal; by the end, you may just wish she got drunk instead and the movie was over. Based on a 2017 short-film of the same name and in this case less really is more. Continue reading →
February 17, 2024 “Land Of Bad” (** out of four) was a pretty punfunctory action thriller about an elite army ODA team (Milo Ventimiglia, Ricky Whittle, Luke Helmsworth, and others) who are suddenly ambushed and their only hope lies with an Air Force officer (Liam Helmsworth) and a drone pilot (Russell Crowe) to guide them out and steer them all to safety. Cinema-lovers can pick apart the visual and dramatic derivations here from “Clear And Present Danger” to “Sniper” and countless others. Not bad but heavily basic and routine. Crowe seems to be playing an aged version of his sinister character from “Body Of Lies” although in fairness this is much better than that 2008 dud. Continue reading →
February 16, 2024 “Box: Metaphor” (* out of four) was a metaphorically awful futuristic melodrama set in (yawn) yet another dystopian future in which a prisoner (Kasia Stelmach) is trapped inside a box which is the emblem of a systematic society of supervision and repression (or something like that) and she tries to keep her sanity and escape. Bewildering movie is a head-scratching bore from beginning to end with almost no dialogue and no story and thus no point. Eerie music score by Moksh Sharma is film’s only strong point. No relation to the 2009 Cameron Diaz/Richard Kelly disaster “The Box” but come to think of it is just as bad. Continue reading →
February 16, 2024 “Air Force One Down” (** out of four) was a mundane action melodrama about a determined rookie Secret Service agent (Katherine McNamara) who boards the title plane while protecting the President (Ian Bohen doing his best impersonation of Gavin Newsom) but has to battle treachery when turncoat agents and terrorists seize control of the plane. Initially appears to be a remake of “Air Force One” but the plane gets grounded pretty quickly and so does film in routine action stylistics. Still overall watchable, though, and has a proficient amount of hand-to-hand combat and gunplay. Continue reading →
February 16, 2024 “Amelia’s Children” (*1/2 out of four) was a misbegotten affair about a young man (Carloto Cotta) who searches for his family in Portugal and reunites with his long-lost mother and twin (Anabela Moreira and Alba Baptista) but soon finds that they have a dark secret that endangered their past and still endangers all of their futures together. Dour and downbeat film has a few effective moments but never builds to much and goes almost completely flat. Inauspicious directorial debut for noted producer and short filmmaker Gabriel Abrantes. Continue reading →
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