February 5, 2022 “A Violent Man” (** out of four) was a grim and unaffecting melodrama about a violent prisoner (Craig Fairbrass) imprisoned for murder who struggles for personal redemption while acclimating with his new cell-mate (Stephen Odubola) and a new daughter (Zoe Tapper) who he never met. Doesn’t connect emotionally, despite good performances and production, and goes flat after a while simply because it doesn’t have much story to tell. Fairbrass does what he can with a one-note role but he was far more terrifying and vivid in 1993’s “Cliffhanger” nearly 30 years ago. Continue reading →
February 5, 2022 “Ghosts Of The Ozarks” (*1/2 out of four) was a drably done horror story set after the Civil War in which a young doctor (Thomas Hobson) is summoned to a remote town named Ozarks but he soon finds that this town is not all that it appears and is permeated with evil and supernatural forces that threaten them all. No suspense, scares, thrills, and while we’re talking about it no real entertainment value either; film finally starts to come alive towards the end but it’s too late by that point. Hobson’s sincere performance is wasted. Continue reading →
February 4, 2022 “Bad Girls” (** out of four) was an amusing but disreputable ode to grindhouse cinema about three loose-cannon teenage girls (Morgan Shaley Renew, Shelby Lois Guinn, Sanethia Dresch) who rob a strip club and then go on a cross-country odyssey of sex, drugs, and booze while eluding the Feds (led by Mike Amason) who are determined to track them down and put an end to their reign of crime. Alternately trashy, stupid, exciting, funny, bloody and numbing- film makes for a wildly uneven ride but at least it never stops moving. Ultimately wears you out with its nonstop sleaze but at least it’s far better (and more entertaining) than 1994’s “Bad Girls” which it has no relation to. Continue reading →
February 4, 2022 “Slapface” (**1/2 out of four) was a thoughtful melodrama about a young boy (August Maturo) who is distraught by bullying at school and the recent death of his parents who seeks solace in a dangerous local monster (Lukas Hassel) who lives in the woods but this leads to dangerous consequences for him and those around him. Extremely well-made story is atmospheric and beautifully shot by Dominick Sivilli and is unusually reflective and thought-provoking about the psychological effects of bullying but just misses. Maturo’s sincere performance is a plus but this never quite connects emotionally. This was adapted from a 2017 short film of the same name. Continue reading →
February 3, 2022 “Safe Space” (**1/2 out of four) was a predictable but efficient suspense thriller about a mother (Nicole Ari Parker- who looks like a stoned Halle Berry) and her autistic son (Nik Sanchez) who hide in a safe room at their house when their home is invaded by intruders (Mackenzie Austin and Drea de Matteo) who are looking for evidence and they have to turn the tables on them and escape and survive. More-or-less a remake of the Jodie Foster/David Fincher cult classic “Panic Room” but having said that- it’s tensely directed and well acted and holds you in its grip. Matteo in particular is fierce and stylish as the female thug. Continue reading →
February 3, 2022 “The Reunion” (*1/2 out of four) was a schizophrenic comedy melodrama about a twenty-something out of work actor (Dave Rosenberg) with significant mental health issues on a spiritual quest in NYC when he runs into a childhood nemesis (Jim Norton) and is encouraged by his best-friend (Andrea Modica) to confront him and challenge him at their pending high-school reunion to achieve new fulfillment and enlightenment in life (or something like that). Rosenberg also wrote this bizarro movie which changes mood and tone with practically every scene. If you went to school with flakes like this, you wouldn’t want to attend a “reunion” either. Continue reading →
February 2, 2022 “COVID-19: The Invasion” (*1/2 out of four) was a junky action potboiler about a group of redneck militants (led by Kevin Nash) who set out to kill the local homeless population that are living in a deserted school in order to prevent the spread of a lethal strand of COVID; when the homeless people fight back and the COVID strand continues to spread, they realize they are in a fight for their lives. Yet another low-rent action thriller that exploits the COVID name and pandemic but it’s really more-of-the-same and resembles a video game more than a film. Continue reading →
February 1, 2022 “Damon’s Revenge” (0 stars out of four) was an absolutely dreadful horror potboiler about a group of friends (Chelsea Vale, Tom Dinnucci, and others) who spend a weekend at a friend’s house at a lake but them and the local sheriff (Tom Sizemore) soon encounter the return of the horrific masked killer (Michael Madsen) and also a copycat killer who is also on the loose. So incomprehensible you could almost watch this backwards and it would likely make just as much sense but film is so sleazy, unpleasant, and boring that’s by no means a recommendation. Somehow, Godsmack singer Sully Erna has a supporting role in this which figures because this film is Godawful. He should have taken a cue from his own song library and just “kept away” instead. Continue reading →
January 31, 2022 “Clifford The Big Red Dog” (*** out of four) was a very likeable adaptation of Norman Briswell’s children’s book series about a young girl (Darby Camp) who falls in love with a small red dog named Clifford who soon grows to enormous size resulting in a greedy scientist (Tony Hale) wanting to capture it and the chase is on throughout NYC. Paper thin script and characters and broadly done in the vein of 50’s and 60’s Disney movies but makes all the right moves to entertain its children and family audience and animal lovers (like me) and is overall winning. John Cleese has a small but key role as Clifford’s original master also named Bridwell. Continue reading →
January 31, 2022 “The Ledge” (*** out of four) was a hair-raising action thriller about a mountain climber (Brittany Ashworth) whose climbing and survival skills are put to the test when she witnesses a murder and is chased up a mountain by four killers (Ben Lamb, Nathan Welsh, and others) and she has to both evade and outsmart them one-by-one. Acting is OK and there are more than a few implausibilities but genuinely scary climbing footage combined with solidly built story tension make this a winner. No “Cliffhanger” or “Rambo” but still keeps you on the edge-of-your-seat. Continue reading →
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