June 1, 2026 “Teacher’s Pet” (*1/2 out of four) was a trifling suspense psychodrama about a precocious high-school student (Michelle Torian) about to start college at Yale who is suddenly re-assigned to a slimy new teacher (Kevin Makely) who takes a dangerous interest in her and attempts to turn her life upside down while the principal (Richard Handley) and the cops (Sheldon Brigman and Drew Powell) investigate. Thoroughly routine and by-the-numbers programmer feels like it was made off an assembly line. Filmmakers themselves need to go back to school and “teach” themselves some new ideas. Continue reading →
June 1, 2026 “Backrooms” (** out of four) was an over-the-top and cerebral exercise in psychological horror about an alcoholic furniture store owner (Chiwitel Ejiofor) who disappears into another dimension of reality found in the basement of his store and his determined psychiatrist (Renate Reinsve) ventures in to go find him but soon finds that her own mental and psychological state may be in peril. Some undeniably eerie moments are obscured by film’s pretentious tone and cold-hearted unpleasantness. Yet another film all-too-obviously inspired by “The Shining” and various other early works by Kubrick and Cronenberg and cannot hold a candle to either. Continue reading →
June 1, 2026 “On The Hunt” (** out of four) was a squalid pulp melodrama about a former military woman (Nicky Whelan) who has to spring back into action to rescue her daughter (Maia Sky) when she is kidnapped by a ruthless and brutal sex-trafficking ring (led by Til Schweiger and Cam Gigandet). Fast-paced enough to make it watchable for action junkies but material is a little tough to take and it all worked better when Liam Neeson went through the same motions in “Taken” about 20 years ago. Whelan is rock-solid in the lead Continue reading →
June 1, 2026 “Jack Ryan: Ghost War” (**1/2 out of four) was an overall well-done adaptation of Tom Clancy’s blockbuster spy series about the Jack Ryan (John Krasinski) who reunites with his former C.I.A. operatives (Wendell Pierce, Sienna Miller, and others) to take down a treacherous international enemy who seems to monitor and know their every move. A definite improvement over the last 2 Chris Pine/Ben Affleck adaptations, and features enough spy intrigue and action to be engaging, but lacks the serpentine complexity that defined the best Ryan adaptation “Clear And Present Danger.” Pierce stands out and gives the film a big boost as James Greer. Continue reading →
June 1, 2026 “Pancake Man” (* out of four) was an indigestably awful psychodrama about a man (Michael Della Pia) who goes berserk when he is (!) denied pancakes at his local diner and goes on a killing spree taking on all comers involving the mob and local police (Seth Hart, Dustin Ehrlich, Sarkis Bakalyan, and others). Filled with empty lard and calories of unlikeable characters and a plot that gets more outlandish and ridiculous by the minute. If you make it to the end of this mess, you’ll never want to eat at an IHOP ever again. Continue reading →
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