September 4, 2022 “Wire Room” (**1/2 out of four) was an adequately done action thriller about a federal agent (Kevin Dillon) assigned to wire-room duty who begins to suspect a conspiracy and cover-up involving his mentor (Bruce Willis) and other various cops in the building and has to try and sort all this out from the confines of his solitary room. Passable direct-to-DVD fare has reasonable tension and action but never fully cuts loose. Dillon is first-rate as usual and gives his role maximum charge; sadly Willis’ health problems are all-too-evident here in what is now his final film role. Continue reading →
September 1, 2022September 1, 2022 “The Invitation” (** out of four) was a pallid horror thriller about a young woman (Nathalie Emmanuel) captivated by a prince charming (Thomas Doherty) but begins to uncover a sinister and gothic conspiracy is present that tears away at the fabric of her sanity. Sincere performance from Emmanuel keeps this on track for at least a little while but drab pacing and hokey scares make this an invitation well worth declining. Yet another ripoff of “The Shining” that can’t hold a candle. Continue reading →
September 1, 2022 “Killer Ambition” (*1/2 out of four) was a killer mistake about a successful jewelry store owner (Tahnee Harrison) who joins a secret female organization for successful business women but soon strange and sinister occurrences start happening. Glossy cinematography and lighting can’t disguise a muddled storyline that gets more ridiculous by the minute. Sean Kanan shows up in a key role as her vindictive ex but he should have karate-chopped this script and focused on “Cobra Kai” instead. Continue reading →
September 1, 2022 “Hunting Ava Bravo” (*1/2 out of four) was a dreary action thriller about a billionaire creep (Marc Blucas) who unwinds by hunting human captives on his remote mountain estate but his latest victim (Kate del Castillo) turns out to be one tough cookie and hard target and she soon turns the tables on him and turns the hunter into the hunted. Yet another variation on “The Most Dangerous Game” and this one is undone by limp pacing and tedium. Someone stop filmmakers from rehashing this story anymore before its entertainment value becomes extinct. Continue reading →
August 28, 2022 “Samaritan” (** out of four) was a mild adaptation of the Mythos Comics graphics novel about a young boy (Javon Walton) who learns that a loner (Sylvester Stallone) living in his apartment building is a superhero who disappeared decades ago and they form an unexpected bond and friendship as they both attempt to save their city- and the galaxy- together. Never rises above the routine and catches fire, despite game efforts from everyone involved. Film was all-too-obviously inspired by both “Finding Forrester” and “Unbreakable” which doesn’t excuse the film from being wholly derivative. At nearly 80, Stallone may want to call it a day before he is officially labeled “expendable.” Continue reading →
August 28, 2022 “Glorious” (* out of four) was a brutal horror melodrama about a young man (Ryan Kwanten) who wanders into a rest-stop and goes into the bathroom stall and finds himself trapped there with a voice in the adjacent room commanding him to commit horrific deeds or else pay the price. Nearly 20 years later- audiences are still paying the price for having made “Saw” a hit; movies like these make that one look like classic “Halloween” by comparison. The great J.K. Simmons is wasted in a small but key supporting role. Continue reading →
August 28, 2022 “Swim” (*** out of four) was a stylishly done B-movie about a family (Jennifer Field, Andy Lauer, and others) that gets trapped in their flooded vacation rental and have to escape from a ravenous shark that has made its way into their house but have nowhere to go since the entire city is flooded and is a giant river. Opening scenes are a little plain and heavy-handed but once it gets going- film delivers the goods with scary shark scenes and efficient direction and filmmaking. Bonus: the shark looks especially vivid and terrifying! Continue reading →
August 28, 2022 “Low Life” (* out of four) was an abysmal potboiler that more than lives up to its title about a small-time YouTuber (Wes Dunlap) who specializes in catching sexual predators in their own homes- and filming them- but finds himself in trouble when he lets one of them into his own home and they turn the tables on him. Deeply unpleasant movie gives you no one to root for since the main character is as unlikeable as the sex criminals he’s catching! The kind of movie that makes you want to take a long shower afterwards. Continue reading →
August 28, 2022 “Shark Side Of The Moon” (** out of four) was a half-baked sci/fi suspense thriller about seemingly unkillable sharks who were launched to the moon by the USSR decades ago; now in present day, an American crew of astronauts (Michael Marcel, Tania Fox, and others) venture to the moon but soon find themselves mauled and attacked and in a vicious battle to the death to make it back home. Not as bad as its title or its insane storyline suggests but overall pretty forgettable. It might be time that filmmakers gave sharks in general a rest for a while. Continue reading →
August 14, 2022 “Beast” (*** out of four) was a fierce horror adventure about a doctor (Idris Elba) on vacation in Africa with his two daughters (Iyana Halley and Leah Jeffries) when they are suddenly besieged by a ravenous lion and they have to band together to survive. Somewhat similar to 1996′ “The Ghost And The Darkness” but is actually far better with beautiful scenery and a usual strong performance from Elba. Plus- those lion attack scenes are pretty intense and scary! No relation to the other film “Beast” also released this year. Continue reading →
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