November 16, 2024 “Gladiator II” (*** out of four) was a powerfully done sequel to the 2000 classic about a warrior Lucius (Paul Mescal) whose home is conquered by a tyrannical emperor (Denzel Washington) who now leads Rome and has to enter the Colliseum to engage in battle and restore Rome to its former glory. Director Ridley Scott ably duplicates the grandiosity of the original with his typical extravagant visual flourishes and enough storytelling fire to ovecome occasional lulls. Mescal is rock-solid in the lead and Washington is first-rate and chews up the scenery in a rare comic-villain role. Continue reading →
November 11, 2024 “Planetquake” (** out of four) was an unexceptional disaster thriller about an incoming earthquake that’s caused by a tectonic shift below the Marlana Trench and a series of seismologists (Erica Duke, Phillip Andre Botello, and others) and military personnel (Michael Pare, Anthony Jensen, and others) who try to prevent it from happening and engulfing the West Coast. Cast of decent actors and a few impressive visual effects shot help it remain watchable but film follows a much-too-predictable pattern. By now, there are only so many times you can watch the end of the world on screen. Continue reading →
November 11, 2024 “Nutcracker Massacre” (*1/2 out of four) was a mindless timewaster about a young novelist (Beatrice Fletcher) who returns home to visit her family for Christmas and finds a nutcracker doll has come to life and is wreaking merciless havoc while the doll’s owner (Patrick Bergin) tries to sort out the situation and figure out what’s going on. Artificial and logy from the beginning and recommended for “Nutcracker” completists only; it’s depressing to see one-time great actor Bergin in this claptrap. Continue reading →
November 11, 2024 “The Lurker” (*1/2 out of four) was a threadbare horror thriller about a group of theatre students (Scout Taylor Compton, Michael Emery, Naomi Grossman, and others) who are planning and celebrating their final show and begin disappearing one at a time when (what else?) an unhinged maniac is on the loose. Just another jerry-built series of horror cliches; can’t the talented Taylor Compton do better than this? This one won’t be “lurking” around on Netflix for too long. Continue reading →
November 7, 2024 “Haunted By Her Name” (*1/2 out of four) was a dreary horror thriller about a young man (Jaron Lanier) who journeys home after the funeral of his ex-girlfriend (Cailin Lanier) and finds himself haunted by images of her ghost that he is convinced are real. Chilling and spooky music score from Judah Relly promises grandiose themes that film unfortunately doesn’t deliver as it gradually plods nowhere. Both Laniers co-produced and co-wrote this in addition to other chores. Continue reading →
November 7, 2024 “2.0 Lucy” (*1/2 out of four) was a cut-rate horror thriller that only ranks 1.5 according to this FB reviewer about a disgraced paleoanthropologist (Joe Eyre) who travels to a rural outback countryside to challenge his idea that humans are the master species and spends time with a woman (Lois Chimimba) who may be otherworldly and evil. Promising opening soon sputters as film becomes static and sluggish. This might have worked better as a 2-character play instead. Continue reading →
November 3, 2024 “Amityville: Where The Echo Lives” (*** out of four) was a stirring horror melodrama about a paranormal investigator (Sarah McDonald) who has to confront a sinister and dark entity that is invading a neighbor’s home which causes her to confront other various personal demons in her own life. One of the better entries in the endless “Amityville” ouevre, thanks to moody direction from director Carlos Ayala, a strong lead performance from McDonald, and a haunting and lyrical music score also by Ayala. Continue reading →
November 1, 2024 “Santa Isn’t Real” (*1/2 out of four) was a humbug horror thriller about a young woman (Kaya Coleman) who survives a brutal attack on Christmas Eve from Santa Claus; upon coming out of her coma, she tries to convince her friends (Scarlett Sperdeto, Trey Anderson, and others) about what happened and stop Santa Claus before he comes back and tries to make it their final Christmas ever. Exploitative movie tries to juxtapose elements of psychodrama and PTSD into its slasher story but it winds up a real lump of coal. Striking cinematography from Sean Conley and Coleman’s strong performance are film’s few assets. Continue reading →
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