September 28, 2025 “Burner” (** out of four) was a muddled underworld melodrama about a single mom (Kacy Owens) who returns home from prison and is trying to rebuild her life and her relationship with her daughter (Akina Wylie). However, when her violent ex (James Oliver Wheatley) re-appears in her life and threatens both of them- she realizes she has no other choice but to have him eliminated without parole, the law, and the mob finding out. Lumpy mixture of mother-daughter story and underworld action intrigue and as a result doesn’t connect as either one. Owens’ sincere performance is film’s strongest merit. Similar story elements were told much more powerfully and effectively in 2006’s “Sherrybaby.” Continue reading →
September 28, 2025 “Terror Comes Knocking” (*1/2 out of four) was a botched adaptation of the true story of Marcela Borges (Dascha Polanco) who was pregnant and had to defend her family when armed intruders (Mitchell Jaramillo, Ivan Lopez, and others) showed up at her Florida home and demanded $200,000 or they would all be executed and she had to outwit and outmaneuver them. Thoroughly stale execution of a true story that (one would think) would have taut tension and suspense and instead winds up a yawning retread of “Desperate Hours.” This is one “knock” not worth answering. Continue reading →
September 28, 2025 “Happy Birthday” (*1/2 out of four) was an unhappy slog through horror-movie cliches about a young woman (Kim Sandwich) who is taken on her birthday by friends (Maddie Henderson, Tim Michael Schmidt, and others) to (yawn) a haunted house in which there is a demented killer running around. Or is this a figment of her imagination? Or one of her friends attempting to get back at her? Desperate collection of generic plot points and horror homages to much better movies (“Halloween”, “Friday The 13th”, just to name a few). Film doesn’t so much end as stop, if you make it that far. Continue reading →
August 4, 2025 “Superman” (*1/2 out of four) was a fumbled retelling of the DC comic story about the title superhero (David Corenswet) who attempts to reconcile his alien Kryptonian heritage and embrace his human alter ego as Clark Kent all the while falling in love with fellow reporter Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) and attempting to save the planet from impending doom. With all the power and grandeur of the original (and to some extent the Zack Snyder remake) removed and the tone turned into a zany comedy, this winds up a perplexing waste of time and money. Final kiss between Superman and Lois provides the only emotional connection in the entire film. Continue reading →
February 8, 2025 “Diddy: Monster’s Fall” (*** out of four) was an interesting documentary about the rise and fall of music-empire mogul Sean (P. Diddy) Combs from his impoverished beginnings to his meteoric success in the 90’s to his eventual undoing and the ongoing pending criminal charges he’s facing. Features an array of good media clips and music and certainly conveys the subject in a lurid and disturbing light. Continue reading →
February 8, 2025 “Fungus” (*1/2 out of four) was an incoherent sci/fi melodrama set in a post-apocalyptic Sweden in which scientists and various gang members (Lottie Johansson, Daniel Epstein, and others) struggle to stay alive in the midst of a pandemic incurred by toxic mushrooms. Too much mumbo and too much jumbo in this perplexing movie; by the time you sort out the muddle, film is too far gone for it to matter. Continue reading →
February 3, 2025 “Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera” (*1/2 out of four) was a misbegotten sequel to the 2018 hit about the return of Big Nick (a grizzled Gerard Butler) who is operating in Europe and closing in on an organized crime king (led by O’shea Jackson, Jr. looking more like his father in every film) involving the Pantera mafia as they plot a diamond heist exchange. A few exciting action set pieces but like the original it wallows in unpleasantness and excess (and overlength) and wears you out. Noted kickboxer and MMA champion Rico Verhoeven adds some style as a key henchman. Continue reading →
February 3, 2025 “Dark Night Of The Soul” (*1/2 out of four) was a lugubrious bore about a scientist (Kristanna Loken) who finds herself trapped in a car after a terrible crash with the keys to a pandemic that is ravaging the world; film intercuts in flashbacks with relations with other sinister figures (Martin Kove, Jesse Kove, and others) who are plotting destruction. Intriguing storyline is marred by meandering script and storytelling that saps dramatic momentum. One-time “T3” siren Loken and Kove are wasted. Continue reading →
February 3, 2025 “Monster On A Plane” (*1/2 out of four) was a third-rate horror comedy about an exotic animal that turns into a monster aboard a plane and wreaks havoc for all the passengers (Eva Habermann, Robin Czerny, Nicholas Artajo, and others) who just want to enjoy the flight and join the mile-high club. Obviously inspired by “Snakes On A Plane” right down to its title but there’s no great lines like “time to get these snakes off this muthaphu–in plane”, no Samuel L. Jackson, and not much else to keep you involved. Monster here looks like a leftover from “Critters.” Continue reading →
January 25, 2025 “You Shall Not Sleep Tonight” (*1/2 out of four) was a morbid psychological thriller likely to put viewers to sleep about a young boy (Milo Burgess-Webb) haunted by nightmares of a frightening monster inside his closet and his dedicated father (Agustin Olcese) helps him to fight his fears and also fight the monster. Clunky horror storry feels like reheated Guillermo del Toro (“Pans Labyrinth” in particular) and maybe a little of early Spielberg (“E.T.”). Good performance from young Webb is film’s only real merit. Continue reading →
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