Author: dlepikcom

“The Stalking” (* out of four) was a disastrously lame horror show about a group of bullied teens (Cody Losinger, Jada Sanchez, Stephen Pflug, and others) who have to combat (get this) evil spirits in the form of malicious sunflower plants that are conjured by a witch to wreak havoc on their small Midwestern town. Allegedly inspired by “The Bad Flower” which was part of the 2018 horror anthology movie “Halloween Horror Tales” and is also a follow-up to the 2009 film “Halloween Night” but whatever; it’s an amateurish mess regardless. Even at only an hour and 14 minutes, this still feels padded and prolonged.

Continue reading →

“The Lizzie Borden Game” (* out of four) was an anemic horror thriller about a woman (Airisa Durand) who joins a group of friends (Jason Brooks, Charlie Dee, and others) on a secluded trip in the woods and they uncover the title game and strange occurrences begin happening. Title is centered around the iconic horror figure who gave her mother 40 wacks but it’s the film itself that is wack and a real snooze. Can’t anyone remember how to make a FUN horror movie anymore?

Continue reading →

“Breed Of Greed” (*1/2 out of four) was a film you don’t need about a wealthy family (Gina Gershon, Sam Ashby, Jeffrey Bean, and others) who reunite after the mysterious death of the family patriarch but soon find that their avarice has led to a looming curse that’s infecting all of them. Much ado about nothing as dull characters meander through a pointless story. A particularly egregious waste of Gershon who 30 years ago had a much better role in “Showgirls.”

Continue reading →

“Brute 1976” (* out of four) was a brutal horror thriller set in 1976 in which five friends (Sarah French, Adriene McLean, Gigi Austin, and others) on a road trip get stranded in a nowhere town named Savage where they are (yawn) besieged by a murderous band of mutant rednecks. 1970’s detail and cinematography is impressively captured; the rest is numbing and boring. “Everybody Is Going To Die” which plays over film’s closing credits is top choice for worst film song of the decade.

Continue reading →

“Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” (**1/2 out of four) was a fitfully engaging entry in this popular series about a young priest (Josh O’Connor) who is sent to assist a fiery and charismatic preacher (Josh Brolin) in a small town but when a local murder occurs- it leads to the involvement of detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) and a local police chief (Mila Kunis) and other townsfolk (Glenn Close, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington) try to sort out what is going on. Fast-paced and kept alive by its all-star cast but fatally overlong at nearly two-and-a-half hours and the central story and mystery isn’t all that compelling. Series fans (I’m not) will likely enjoy this more.

Continue reading →

“Frenzy Moon” (*1/2 out of four) was a needless horror melodrama about six friends (Alyssa Grace Adams, Kayla Malika, Gabrielle Nunzio, and others) and one mysterious stranger (Aaron Krygier) who are locked in a secluded cabin where they are besieged by a ravenous pack of bloodthirsty werewolvess. Hardly anything that “The Howling” (or any of its sequels/remakes) didn’t do- and do better- over 40 years ago. Some of the werewolf CGI effects are nifty but film as a whole is pretty toothless. Even still, this won awards at the Pittsburgh and New Zealand horror festivals earlier this year.

Continue reading →

“Jingle Bell Heist” (**1/2 out of four) was a mildly engaging holiday confection about two strangers (Olivia Holt and Connor Swindells) both who are up against a financial wall who team up to rob a large-scale department store on Christmas and find that in the midst of planning the robbery they are falling in love. Mix of gritty action, lighthearted comedy, and holiday romance doesn’t entirely work but is carried along by good chemistry and camaraderie between the two leads and bouncy style from director Michael Fimognari. Refreshingly quick and lean also at only an hour-and-40-minutes.

Continue reading →

“12 To Midnight” (** out of four) was a misbegotten action melodrama about a grizzled detective (Robert Bronzi) who is despondent after the recent murder of his wife who rejoins the force when a serial killer (Tito Ortiz) begins taunting him and appears to be his wife’s murderer but they soon come to realize he may be superhuman. Unpleasant and uneven mixture of B-movie cop themes but Charles Bronson lookalike Bronzi does his best to hold this all together with his effortless charisma. By the way, this is not a remake or sequel to the Bronson cult classic “10 To Midnight”, despite similar stories and title.

Continue reading →

“Wildcat” (**1/2 out of four) was a proficient but perfunctory action thriller about an ex-special Black Ops team (Kate Beckinsale, Lewis Tan, Rasmus Hardiker, and others) who reunite to save the life of an 8-year old girl whose in peril and they become caught in the crossfire between two underworld criminal kingpins (Charles Dance and Alice Krige) and their brutal street war. Packed with hard-boiled dialogue and enough gunfire and hand-to-hand combat to make it watchable for fans but still pretty conventional and doesn’t break much new ground. Beckinsale and Dance are rock-solid as usual but even they could play these roles in their sleep by now.

Continue reading →

“Regretting You” (** out of four) was a sincere but vapid adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel about a mother and daughter (Allison Williams and McKenna Grace) who become closer to one another after a devastating accident and try to repair past years of emotional damage and duplicity that tore them apart. Good performances help to keep you watching for a while but film is never particularly insightful, moving, or funny. Both Williams and Grace have a few good scenes together especially at the end but you still may end up “regretting” seeing this one by then.

Continue reading →