October 5, 2019 “President Evil” (*1/2 out of four) was an insultingly derivative horror melodrama about three high-school girls (Sitara Attaie, Amber Boone, and Naomi Franck) who are stalked and pursued during election months by a nutjob dressed as (you guessed it) President Trump. Film rips off the original “Halloween” so much (right down to the music score) that the scariest thing about the movie is John Carpenter hasn’t followed up with a lawsuit! Cleverly titled but otherwise a real time-waster. Hilary and Bernie supporters are the only ones who might find some more merit here. Continue reading →
October 5, 2019 “Gemini Man” (*** out of four) was a perceptive thriller in which an over-the-hill hitman (Will Smith) on the verge of retirement means a femme-fatale (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) which leads him back to underworld intrigue and he soon finds he has to square-off against a younger assassin version of himself (!) which was sent to kill by the top brass and factions (led by Clive Owen) of the C.I.A. Impressively done C.G.I. and visual effects authentically shows Smith acting and fighting against his younger self which looks exactly as he did almost 20 years ago! Underneath these eye-catch effects, however, film’s plotting is relatively conventional and ordinary with the expected twists and turns. Not the great film it could have been but still fast-moving and entertaining. Continue reading →
October 4, 2019 “3 From Hell” (* out of four) was a mind-numbingly stupid and ugly horror show about the continuing adventures of Baby Firefly (Sherri Moon Zombie), Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig), Otis Firefly (Bill Moseley) and other swell folks as they are captured by authorities and escape and resume their less-than-enthralling killing odyssey. Third in the series is yet another of Rob Zombie’s exercises and excesses in white-trash redneck nihilism as he regurgitates all of his horror movie influences from the 70’s. Moon Zombie is particularly annoying and off-putting here; Moseley actually looks like a cross between Rob Zombie and Charles Manson and makes this even more of an unwatchable freak show. Sadly, Haig died just 5 days after this film’s release. Continue reading →
October 3, 2019 “The Young Cannibals” (** out of four) was a pointless horror thriller about seven friends (Megan Purvis, Samuel Freeman, Hannah Louise Howell, and others) who inadvertently summon a monster when they eat hamburgers that are made of human flesh and they soon find themselves fighting for their lives! Beautifully photographed and unusually well-made horror movie unfortunately is done in by its own ridiculous story and final third really starts to drag. Moody electronic music score by Gabe Castro is a definite plus. Continue reading →
October 2, 2019 “Once Upon A Time In Deadwood” (** out of four) was a logy Western about an elderly gunslinger (Robert Bronzi) who is fed a slow-acting poison by a woman (Lauren Compton) desperate to have him rescue her sister from a gang of hoodlums (led by Michael Pare) or else he won’t get the antidote that will save his life and things start to get really ugly in the old West. Plenty of saloons, shootouts, and standoffs in this familiar trail through Western territory. Bronzi’s absolutely eerie resemblance to Charles Bronson makes this worth looking at for at least a few minutes but Pare is wasted as the main villain. Continue reading →
October 2, 2019 “Jarhead: Law Of Return” (**1/2 out of four) was a mildly engrossing action melodrama about a fighter pilot (Devon Sawa) for the Israeli Defense Forces and son of a U.S. senator (Robert Patrick) who is shot down behind enemy lines and a squad of top-ranked soldiers must risk their lives to get him back. Fourth entry in this series is well-directed by action veteran Don Michael Paul who knows how to stage and shoot action scenes but story and script gradually feel hollow after a while. Still, though, you have to give this ongoing series credit because all of its entries are better than the original. Continue reading →
October 1, 2019 “Killer Sofa” (*1/2 out of four) was a ridiculous horror show set in New Zealand about a killer reclining chair (!) who becomes enraged and enchanted by his new owner (Harley Neville) and starts committing crimes of passion while two cops (Jed Brophy and Stacey King) investigate and try to find out what’s really going on. For anyone looking for original and high-concept horror ideas, the buck stops cold right here! Brophy is a literal dead-ringer for original AC/DC singer Bon Scott but rest of the cast is pretty forgettable. Continue reading →
October 1, 2019 “In The Shadow Of The Moon” (*** out of four) was a nerve-wracking thriller about a determined Philadelphia cop (Boyd Holbrook) with a lifelong obsession with apprehending a serial killer (Cleopatra Coleman) whose crimes defy explanation and who may or may not be human. Gritty, stylish direction from Jim Mickle and Holbrook’s rock-solid lead performance make this a definite must-see, especially for fans of cop melodramas, even though it goes on too long at nearly two hours. Bokeem Woodbine is solid as usual in a key role as Holbrook’s partner. Continue reading →
September 30, 2019 “The Curse Of Buckout Road” (** out of four) was a trite horror story about a group of kids (Evan Ross, Dominique Provost-Chalkey, and others) who soon discover that urban legend regarding evil spirits on Buckout Road is terrifyingly real; meanwhile a hard-nosed cop (Henry Czerny) and a criminal psychiatrist (Danny Glover) try to investigate and sort all of this out. Good cast and director do what they can with tired material. It’s fun to see the usually villainous Czerny in a role as a cop and Glover is strong as always but this is still overcome by the overall “curse” of other and better movies. Continue reading →
September 28, 2019 “Obsession” (** out of four) was a fairly predictable Southern potboiler about a drifter (Mekhi Phifer) who is taken in by a wealthy landowner (Brad Dourif) and starts a steamy affair with his wife (Elika Portnoy) and they conspire to kill him and free her from her loveless marriage. Not all that different from “The Postman Always Rings Twice” except this one lacks atmosphere and sizzle. Good performances help keep it watchable but it never ignites like it should. Continue reading →
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