March 3, 2020 “Kill Mode” (**1/2 out of four) was a not-bad futuristic action thriller in which a greedy corporation controls the world and an ex freedom fighter (Dave Mantel) attempts to expose the secret that could bring them down and also destroy the fabric of futuristic law and robotic rule that controls society. Fast-paced but overly derivative thriller is certainly watchable although it never fully escapes the shadows of other better movies it’s inspired by (“Blade Runner”, “District 9”, “Robocop”, and obviously “The Terminator” to name several). By this point, it may be time to “kill” movies about the future and robotic machinery. Continue reading →
March 2, 2020 “The Invisible Man” (** out of four) was a hollow sci/fi-horror adaptation of H.G. Wells’ famous novel and the 1933 original about a woman (Elisabeth Moss) whose abusive husband takes his own life but she subsequently starts noticing strange occurrences in her life and begins to lose her sanity trying to convince all around her that she is being stalked by a ghost whom no one can see. Creepy and eerie at times but otherwise film treads on all-too-familiar territory and starts to become tiresome and predictable after a while. Some scares at beginning and film’s end make it watchable but that still doesn’t mean you shouldn’t just re-watch the original. Continue reading →
March 2, 2020 “Guns Akimbo” (*** out of four) was a hyperactive action thriller from the bigger-is-better school of filmmaking about a guy (Daniel Radcliffe) who realizes he has guns bolted onto both of his hands and he embarks through a city of violence and chaos to rescue his ex-girlfriend (Samara Weaving) from ruthless bad guys (led by Ned Dennehy) but is chased at all angles by mobsters, corrupt cops, and reality t.v. fans who he discovers are watching him live! Excess in all areas, in violence, music, and action but it never stops moving and proves to be a wildly entertaining ride. A real image-altering role for Radcliffe. Definitely not for all tastes but flashy and tongue-in-cheek. Continue reading →
February 28, 2020 “The Night Clerk” (*1/2 out of four) was a genuinely bizarre character study of a voyeuristic hotel clerk (Tye Sheridan) who starts to become investigated for murder by a sardonic cop (John Leguizamo) while his mother (Helen Hunt) tries to proclaim his innocence but eventually doesn’t know what to believe. Story is weird and aloof just like its main character and the lead performance from Sheridan. Eventually, you realize you simply don’t care about any of the characters or their outcomes although Leguizamo adds spice and style as always. Continue reading →
February 27, 2020 “Fatal Friend Request” (** out of four) was a slick but empty, predictable thriller about a successful restaurant owner (Bree Williamson) who begins to use social media for the first time and is soon progressively stalked by a woman (Sarah Lind) who turns out to be the biological mother of her adopted daughter (Annelise Pollman) and turns out to be a deranged nutjob who will stop at nothing to get her back……….and we’re into another cliched revenge stalker melodrama. By the standards of these direct-to-DVD/made-for-television revenge stories, this isn’t bad and is well-acted, but by now you’ve seen it all before plenty. Pollman in particular is strong as the daughter caught in the middle of all this. Continue reading →
February 27, 2020 “2 Graves In The Desert” (* out of four) was an unendurable action melodrama about a man and a woman (Ryan Slater and Cassie Howarth) who find themselves kidnapped and wake up in a trunk driven by two criminals (Michael Madsen and William Baldwin) who have their own personal agendas with what they’re going to do with them. Brutal and unpleasant attempt at ’90’s style Tarantino pulp melodrama with lots of pseudo-hip dialogue and gore. Judging by what Madsen and Baldwin are churning out these days, a more apt title would have been “2 Graves For 2 Has-Beens.” Continue reading →
February 25, 2020 “Brahms: The Boy II” (* out of four) was an insufferably dull sequel to a horror movie that no one was exactly screaming for a follow-up to; a stable family (Katie Holmes, Owain Yeoman, Christopher Convery) move into a new estate where the boy almost immediately starts engaging in suspicious activity when he befriends a life-like doll named Brahms and (yawn) all Hell breaks loose. Yet another horror story about a possessed child and a killer doll which really scares you into thinking that filmmakers simply don’t have any ideas anymore for new horror movies; film doesn’t even have the saving grace of any scares or humor. And what the hell is Holmes doing in this? Continue reading →
February 25, 2020 “The Call Of The Wild” (**1/2 out of four) was a diverting adaptation of Jack London’s classic 1903 novel about a sled dog trying to find his place in the wilderness of the Yukon who is taken in by a gruff master (Harrison Ford) while trying to escape from a wealthy and corrupt landowner (Dan Stevens). Visually lush and spectacular cinematography by Janusz Kaminski on stunning Canadian locations but story lags after a while and is partially weakened by some obvious CGI work. A mixed bag but still worth checking out overall for animal lovers like me and fans of London’s novel. Continue reading →
February 24, 2020 “True Fiction” (** out of four) was a pretty unpleasant horror melodrama about a young writer (Sara Garcia) who obtains a job as an assistant for her favorite horror writer (John Cassini) but instead finds herself participating in various psychological and horror experiments in which her safety (and sanity) are threatened. Competently made and acted but story goes overboard with gore and stylistics after a while and starts to wear you out. Not all that different from Kevin Smith’s “Tusk” Continue reading →
February 23, 2020 “Burning Kentucky” (** out of four) was a lumbering melodrama set in the deep South in which a young woman (Emilie Dhir) begins to try to put the pieces together from an event that killed her family and when she finds out the truth- she is put in an emotional and psychological crossfire about whether to avenge their death or let it go and move on. Director Bethany Brooke Anderson and cinematographer Matt Clegg do an impressive job of establishing the Kentucky aura and atmosphere but you soon realize that’s pretty much all the movie is, since it moves ploddingly and never builds to much and all the characters are typical small-town cliches. Even so, this one several awards at independent film festivals last year. Continue reading →
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