Author: dlepikcom

“Downtown Owl” (** out of four) was an overly cute adaptation of Chuck Klosterman’s 2008 novel set in 1980’s North Dakota in the midst of a blizzard which affects three small-town characters- an old man (Ed Harris) who spends his days reciting lines he’s heard from the coffee shop, a depressed high-school quarterback (August Blanco Rosenstein), and a hard-partying teacher (Vanessa Hudgens). Sincere performances can only do so much with a script and characters that ring hollow and false. Harris actually performs one of the songs on film’s lively soundtrack.

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“Possessions” (**1/2 out of four) was a sporadically creepy horror thriller about a devoted father (Clive Standen) who seeks a fresh start with his young son (Mason Wells) after the death of his wife and they move to a new town and purchase a storage unit facility but dark secrets lurking beneath the facility threaten to overtake them. Better-than-average horror story has good atmosphere and performances but is ultimately done in by standard horror cliches. A solid effort from writer/director Brent Cote but this cannot escape film’s origins of “The Shining” and (especially) “Poltergeist.”

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“DC Down” (** out of four) was a serviceable action thriller about an earthquake that decimates Washington, D.C. and traps the President (Sean Young) under pounds of rubble while the military frantically tries to rescue her and her staff and various other personnel (Eric Roberts, Jack Pearson, Geoff Meed, and others) have an agenda of their own. Reasonably well-made and fast moving enough but never escapes the mold of the routine. Young is slightly miscast as the leader of the free world. You might want to watch “Olympus Has Fallen” again instead.

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“Dark Blood” (*1/2 out of four) was a molasses-moving horror story set in the Australian countryside about a bickering married couple (Jonathan Pryce and Judy Davis) whose lives are changed when they meet a sinister young man (River Phoenix) in the outback. Film was shot in 1993 and then shelved after River Phoenix’ death but was finished and completed in 2012 and is getting a re-release now but it hardly seems worth all the bother. Director George Sluizer deserves credit for completing this in the wake of Phoenix’ death but this film is nowhere near as creepy or scary as his 1988 masterwork “The Vanishing.”

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“Chief Of Station” (*1/2 out of four) was an enervated action thriller about a former C.I.A. operative (Aaron Eckhart) who is pulled back into espionage and the underworld when he finds out that his wife’s tragic death was not an accident and he teams back up with a former adversary (Olga Kurylenko) to uncover a sinister conspiracy involving terrorism and the government. Ho-hum story of international espionage and the C.I.A. feels like reheated story elements from the “Bourne” series. Even the usually dynamic Eckhart and Kurylenko seem to be just going through the motions.

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“Cash Out” (**1/2 out of four) was an efficiently done B-thriller about a professional thief (John Travolta) who decides to rob one last bank with his brother (Lukas Haas) but plans go awry and they are trapped inside while he has to confer with the hostage negotiator (Kristin Davis) who is his former lover. Routine story with obvious influences from “Dog Day Afternoon” and “Inside Man” but is enlivened by strong cast and some snappy dialogue that elevates it above the norm. A sequel is already wrapped and coming soon.

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“Food, Inc. 2” (*** out of four) was an interesting sequel to the 2008 original from documentary filmmakers Robert Kenner and Melissa Robledo as they team up with authors Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser to examine or tainted food industry and the various big-business corporations who continue to push processed (and cancer-causing) foods. Pretty much on par with the original with a lot of incisive interviews and well-photographed and edited clips of food production that make you think twice about your diet and what you’re really eating.

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