June 28, 2020 “Good Kisser” (** out of four) was a superficial melodrama about two female lovers (Kari Alison Hodge and Rachel Paulson) who meet a mysterious stranger (Julia Eringer) at her home for dinner and open up to her about their relationship but this leads to a sexual triangle of revelations and secrets that affects all of them. Pointless story fails to build any substantial momentum or emotional involvement as all three actresses do what they can with limited material. Despite the sexual fireworks, film’s overall affect is curiously cool and muted. This may have worked better as a small-scale play, rather than as a feature film. Continue reading →
June 28, 2020 “Scare Package” (*1/2 out of four) was a gory, one-note horror anthology about the owner (Jeremy King) of a horror-movie video store (are you laughing yet? How’s that for a nostalgic kneeslapper?) who recounts seven tales of horror mayhem to his newest employee (Jon Michael Simpson). Yet another “Creepshow”/”Tales From The Darkside” wannabe that falls short and becomes thin very quickly. Joe Bob Briggs shows up late in the game but as one of the survivors but this is still a package hardly worth opening. Continue reading →
June 27, 2020 “The Point Of No Return” (** out of four) was a cumbersome WWII melodrama about a dwindling group of German soldiers (Mhairi Calvey, Chris Wilson, Laura Jean Marsh, and others) who have to overcome personal and physical dangers and complexities to return to their battle lines on the harsh Eastern front. Some scattered effective moments and magnificent cinematography are offset by film’s overlength at nearly two hours and uneven pacing. Many familiar with this time period in history and veterans from WWII may find film more stirring and involving but there have been many other better WWII films prior. A middling effort from veteran war producer/writer/director Rick Roberts. other better WWII films prior. A middling effort from veteran war producer/writer/director Rick Roberts. Continue reading →
June 27, 2020 “The Scientist” (*1/2 out of four) was a rambling horror thriller about an iconoclastic scientist (Robb Hudspeth) who is caring for his terminally ill wife (Kristin Keith) and their daughter (Addison McGarry) and embarks on a journey to find a cure for his wife which includes tampering with human DNA; it may save his wife but may also lead to the extinction of humanity but film asks what would you do in same dire situation? You have to admire writer/director Derrick Granado for trying to ingrain an added moral and emotional element to this tired horror framework but result is stillborn and forgettable. Maybe scientists need to work more on saving the horror genre. Continue reading →
June 26, 2020 “Spirits In The Dark” (*1/2 out of four) was a moribund horror thriller about a lonely widower (Joszek Gallai) who finds a mysterious video on his computer that leads him to a spooky town in which an unknown but scary supernatural entity is devouring people’s souls and murdering them. Star/writer/producer/director Gallai bears most of the blame for this dreary time-waster; even at a little more than an hour long, this starts to grow really thin. By now, it might be time to retire the horror cliches of supernatural forces and small towns for a while. Continue reading →
June 24, 2020 “Birthmother’s Betrayal” (** out of four) was a perfunctory thriller about an adopted young girl (Monica Rose Bentz) who yearns to find out and meet her real mother (Aria Pullman) but when she does- she finds out that she’s not exactly mommy dearest and is a real sicko who is bent on not only controlling her life but destroying it as well. OK cast and production can’t begin to save pedestrian script and predictable plotting. By now, you’ve seen this story way too many times for it to carry any surprise or shock value. Continue reading →
June 23, 2020 “Top Gunner” (*1/2 out of four) was a stale, synthetic action melodrama about a group of renegade pilots (Buck Burns, Julian Cavett, Reavis Dorsey) from the U.S. Air Force who have to protect a biological weapon from falling into the wrong hands of the Russian military who want to seize it any costs. Result is such an obvious rip off of “Top Gun” (right down to its title, no kidding) but it also rips off “Iron Eagle” and also “Red Dawn” to make it feel like a KMart greatest hits of ’80’s action fare. Eric Roberts sneers his way through a token role as the group’s tough but tender instructor. Continue reading →
June 23, 2020 “Zombie With A Shotgun” (* out of four) was a witless adaptation of the title web series about two teenagers (Braeden Baade and Kathryn Kuhn) on the run because he is infected with a zombie virus that allows him to (!) communicate with other zombies while at the same time trying to find the source of the infection and thus save the world from eradication. I wasn’t a big fan of either of the “Zombieland” movies but this movie makes them look like Noel Coward by comparison; sputteringly stupid at times and cheaply made as a bonus. Continue reading →
June 22, 2020 “Revenge Ride” (** out of four) was a disjointed action melodrama about a young girl (Serinda Swan) who is a member of a vicious biker gang (led by Polyanna Macintosh) who she rounds up to embark on high-speed revenge when her young cousin is drugged at a party. Cheeky visual style and some amusing ideas fail to sustain film at feature-length and its overall unpleasantness eventually wears you out. Both visually and thematically inspired by both “Mad Max” and “The Road Warrior” but there’s no Mel GIbson or George Miller here. Continue reading →
June 21, 2020 “House Of Many Sorrows” (*1/2 out of four) was a slapdash horror show about a mentally unstable man (Tom Malloy) who takes over his mother’s bed-and-breakfast operation and begins slashing and killing the various members who show up until a few unhappy guests (Barry Gillis and Samatha Brownlee) decide to fight back and attempt to escape. Marginally stylish touches from Gillis’ direction (he also wrote and directed) are unable to provide this crude schlock with much distinction. Not the worst of its ilk but you’ll likely have many sorrows from wasting your time by the end of this. Continue reading →
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