Author: dlepikcom

“Alabama Rose” (** out of four) was a wilted character melodrama about a young woman (Cayla Green) whose husband dies and finds renewed meaning and passion in her life being a model but starts to grow wary and suspicious of the various photographers and business people (Michael Pare, Mark Justice, and others) she crosses paths with. Interesting storyline about starting over and finding a new path in life is undercut by muddled and obtuse framework as film is limited in its emotional scope and power. Co-writer/executive producer J Spencer based this on his own experiences as a model photographer.

Continue reading →

“Little Bone Lodge” (*1/2 out of four) was a joyless horror melodrama about 2 criminal brothers (Harry Cadpy and Neil Linpow) on the run in the midst of a vicious thunderstorm who seek refuge in a desolate farmhouse and take the family (Joely Richardson, Sadie Soverall, and Roger Ajogbe) hostage but soon find that they picked the wrong house to invade. Yet another rip-off of “Desperate Hours” and “The Purge” and virtually other home-invasion thriller you’ve seen but without much energy or spark. Linpow also wrote the script; Job Reineke’s magnificent and gloomy cinematography is one of film’s few assets.

Continue reading →

“Skinford: Death Sentence” (** out of four) was a grisly horror thriller about a young man (Joshua Brennan) who is trying to save his dying father (Ric Herbert) by stealing and selling a mystery truck but soon runs into trouble when he encounters a woman (Charlotte Best) who becomes immortal when anyone touches her and soon the bodies start piling up. Offbeat and features some dark and macabre touches that make this not totally without interest but too slight and superficial to make a real impression. Third in the “Skinford” series for anyone keeping a tally.

Continue reading →

“Hunt Club” (* out of four) was an abysmal action potboiler about a group of wealthy hunters (Casper Van Dien, Mickey Rourke, Will Peltz, and others) who regularly lure women to a private island and then hunt them but this time they messed with 2 tough cookies (Mena Suvari and Maya Stojan) and soon realize that they themselves have become the hunted. One more rip-off of “Surviving The Game” which in itself was a rip-off of “The Most Dangerous Game” but terrible direction and leaden storytelling makes this almost unsurvivable. Film features a collection of once-hot ’90’s stars (Van Dien, Suvari, Rourke) but judging from this they ought to be out there “hunting” for better scripts.

Continue reading →

“My Professor’s Guide To Murder” (*1/2 out of four) was a senseless and stupid suspense thriller about a creative writing graduate student (Rae DeRosa) who becomes the assistant to a new professor (Landon Ashworth) who is a celebrity murder mystery writer but she soon becomes suspicious that he might be a murderer himself and has to watch his every move. Badly acted and staged and is often laughable at times. Director Haylie Duff (sister of Hillary) strains to build tension but based on this effort she’s not exactly a “professor” of filmmaking yet.

Continue reading →

“Run Rabbit Run” (** out of four) was a moody but muted melodrama about a fertility doctor (Sarah Snook) who believes in life after death but starts to experience strange occurrences with her young child (Lily LaTorre) which challenges her own beliefs and leads to her having to confront a ghostly figure (Greta Scacchi) from her own past. Good performances and atmospheric lensing from Bonnie Elliot keep you watching for a while until you realize film is going nowhere and taking you right along with it. Screenwriting debut for Australian novelist Hannah Kent. Film is the third film with the same title in the last 15 years.

Continue reading →

“Eye For Eye” (** out of four) was a lackadaisical Western melodrama about a vicious herder (John Savage) who kills the wife (Bianca Blanco) of a determined farmer (Shane Clouse) in an attempt to intimidate and overpower him to surrender his land but he instead decides to ride against him and his herd for bloodthirsty revenge. Cast of decent performers and solid director do what they can with low-budget production and overall routine material. Die-hard Western fans might want to take a look but it’s pretty forgettable otherwise.

Continue reading →

“Confidential Information” (** out of four) was a competent but unexceptional police melodrama about a police detective (Dominick Purcell) who is dying from cancer who arranges to be killed in the line of duty so his wife (Kate Bosworth) can receive lifetime health benefits but this leads to a multitude of consequences for other cops (Mel Gibson, Nick Stahl) and various underworld figures as everyone finds their worst instincts rising to the surface. Overall well-directed by co-writer/director Michael Oblowitz but film is enervated by its routine story and structure. Film uses the mesmerizing “House Of The Rising Sun” which was used for the classic scene in “Casino” but it just doesn’t have the same conviction here.

Continue reading →

“Resurrected” (**1/2 out of four) was a better-than-average low-budget horror thriller set in another dystopian future in which the Vatican has discovered a supernatural way of resurrecting people; one troubled priest (Dave Davis) discovers a link from the various resurrections to a series of brutal murders that have started occurring and sets to expose them while all the while questioning his own faith and his own path in life. Part standard cliched religious horror hokum but also partially well-done and creepy. A lot of the film takes place online on computer and chat forums but still delivers some jolts along the way.

Continue reading →