Author: dlepikcom

“Cry Macho” (**1/2 out of four) was an amiably done if not altogether successful melodrama about a one-time rodeo star (Clint Eastwood) who is now washed up and in the twilight of his life who is hired by an old friend (Dwight Yoakam) to bring his young son (Daniel Graulau) home from the border but along the way they develop a relationship and he starts to wonder if bringing him back home is the right thing to do and what’s best for him. Eastwood (who also directed) remains an ageless and charismatic wonder at 91 years old and carries this almost single-handedly though the movie moves along too leisurely and film’s ending is unsatisfying and abrupt. Still, an overall worthwhile addition to Eastwood’s catalogue and definitely in keeping with his past themes of redemption and resumption.

Continue reading →

“Amityville Thanksgiving” (* out of four) was a genuine turkey about a bickering couple (Paul Faggione and Natalie Peri) who visit a sinister marriage counselor (Mark C. Fulhardt) to restore their faltering relationship but soon realize that he has cruel intentions that may make this holiday their last. Latest in a long-line to crassly use the “Amityville” name is crude, stupid, and boring. Aside from a few shots of the original house, this literally has nothing to do with the 1979 classic but may instead remind you of “Dead Again” and “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.”

Continue reading →

“The Fabelmans” (** out of four) was a self-indulgent melodrama loosely based on the life of writer/director Steven Spielberg about a young boy (Gabriel LaBelle) who discovers his powerful love for film and how this helps him to find joy and purpose in life and supercedes his problems at home with his parents (Paul Dano and Michelle Williams) and at school. Spielberg’s most personal and biographical film to date is affectionately done and lovingly detailed (with various homages to Spielberg works including “Back To The Future” in particular in a few scenes) about a young boy’s love for film………but as a film itself it’s self-important and awfully long. David Lynch has a key cameo also as a film director.

Continue reading →

“Troll” (*** out of four) was a searing adventure melodrama about an ancient gigantic creature who is unearthed deep in the Dovre mountains and starts plowing its way towards Oslo. The military (Gards B Eidsvold, Mads Sjogard Pettersen, and others) wants it destroyed at all costs but a scientist (Ine Marie Wilmann) begins to wonder if the creature is really as menacing as others may think. Unusually done film features spectacular visual effects and some explosive action but also has a strong amount of mood and emotional pull as you genuinely feel sorry for the troll and its struggles. Reminiscent in a lot of ways of 2005’s “King Kong” but a small winner all around.

Continue reading →

“Dog” (*** out of four) was a winning comic melodrama about a former army ranger (Channing Tatum) who is given an assignment to watch an army canine and take her to the military funeral of her owner and they race down the Pacific Coast and attempt to get there on time but along the way develop a strong and special bond with one another. Uneven, with a few unnecessary scenes that could have trimmed film’s length a little, but has enough effective moments to make it worthwhile. Final 20 minutes are particularly heartwarming and moving. Tatum co-directed and him and the dog are first-rate!

Continue reading →

“Cemetery Stories” (* out of four) was a wooden anthology horror story about a couple of clairvoyants (Chrystal Snow and Timothy Patrick Quill) who show up at a cemetery to walk amongst the tombstones and are besieged by all kinds of unleashed evil and have no choice but to turn to priests to send the evil back to the depths of Hell. Howlingly solemn at times and very silly at others and the overall effect is numbing and boring. Made by DIY filmmakers who make you sorely regret the existence of the term independent horror movie. Time to bury these horror cliches in a real cemetery where they belong.

Continue reading →

“Christmas Bloody Christmas” (*1/2 out of four) was a bloody mess about a robotic Santa Claus that goes haywire and goes on a mass holiday killing spree and it’s up to a free-spirited party girl (Riley Dandy) to put down the bottle and put an end to his slaughter before he wipes out the entire town. Tired horror thriller about yet another killer Santa Claus; didn’t anyone hear learn their lesson from “Silent Night, Deadly Night?” Film lacks suspense and scares and looks cheap but Dandy manages to deliver a strong performance in the lead.

Continue reading →

“Violent Night” (** out of four) was an ungainly action thriller about a group of mercenaries (led by John Leguizamo) who break into the estate of a wealthy family (Beverly D’Angelo, Edi Patterson, and others) and it’s up to Santa Claus (David Harbour) to save the day and save Christmas. Fast-paced but utterly dumb and derivative. Film more than lives up to its title and some scenes are blatant homages/ripoffs of “Die Hard” and especially “Die Hard 2.” Incredibly, this was written by the same team responsible for “Sonic The Hedgehog”!

Continue reading →

“Detective Knight: Redemption” (** out of four) was a clunky action potboiler about detective Knight (Bruce Willis) whose now in custody in NYC and in the midst of a violent jailbreak orchestrated by a deranged killer (Paul Johannson) and is given a deal that he can once again have his badge back if he can stop him and his crew from escaping and save the city. Second in the “Knight” series is no better and no worse than the first. Willis’ health issues are all-too-evident here and he has very little dialogue or screen time. Lochlyn Munro adds some style and sass as a crippled cop.

Continue reading →

“All I Want For Christmas” (** out of four) was a predictable holiday comedy about a young girl (Sahjanan Nesser) whose sole wish for Christmas is that her two divorced parents (Erica Peeples and Christian Torres Villalobos) get back together but can Santa Claus (Terry Woodberry) help with this? A completely unnecessary remake of the 1991 disaster although in fairness this is better than that misfire. Still, though, by the end of this you may wish to the North Pole that Hollywood would stop with all these needless remakes.

Continue reading →