June 4, 2022 “Interceptor” (*** out of four) was a rock-solid action thriller about an army captain (Elsa Pataky) who finds herself under attack when the remote missile station she is commanding is attacked by terrorists but soon find that they don’t know who they’re messing with. Routine action story is proficiently done with fierce hand-to-hand combat scenes and very stylish direction from noted Australian author Matthew Reilly who never stops giving you something to look at. Chris Helmsworth (Pataky’s husband) has a minor role as a television salesman. Continue reading →
June 4, 2022 “Dashcam” (0 stars out of four) was a mind-numbingly awful horror show about two friends (Annie Hardy and Amar-Chadha Patel) who embark on a road trip that turns into horrific violence and they livestream what soon turns into the most terrifying night of their lives (and maybe yours). Hard to tell what’s most unwatchable in this film, between the headache-inducing handheld photography, Hardy’s screaming (and rapping at the camera!), or the cluttered computer visuals onscreen but either way it’s an unendurable mess. A new low of found-footage horror films and also for Blumhouse Productions. Continue reading →
June 4, 2022 “The Overnight” (*1/2 out of four) was a hokey horror thriller about a young couple (Zebedee Row and Brittany Clark) off on a romantic getaway weekend who find themselves stranded and staying at a hellhole hotel in which they find themselves in a time warp and the bait for a murderous demon (James Lorinz). Supernatural claptrap is yet another ripoff of “The Shining” and also “The Amityville Horror” that we didn’t need. The type of movie that plays at 3:00 in the morning on cable but is hardly worth staying “overnight” for. Continue reading →
June 2, 2022 “County Line: All In” (** out of four) was a thinly drawn sequel to the 2017 original about the local sheriff (Tom Wopat) who is forced to work with a newly elected sheriff (Kelsey Crane) to resolve a series of murders and must put aside their differences to save their county before the murderer escapes and goes on the loose some more. Yet another sequel that not very many people were exactly waiting on their Netflix subscription for. Not bad, with pretty cinematography from Brent Christy and some good chemistry between the two leads, but never rises above the routine. Continue reading →
May 30, 2022 “Top Gun: Maverick” (***1/2 out of four) was a soaring sequel to the 1986 blockbuster classic about the ongoing aerial adventures of Pete Maverick (an ageless Tom Cruise) who is called back to Top Gun to lead a group of young misfits (Glenn Powell, Miles Teller, Monica Barbaro, and others) but has to come to terms with his past and his own daredevil tendencies. A rare sequel that not only does justice but equals the original, with exhilirating aerial fight scenes, some strong character development, and genuine emotional punch in its interplay and character relationships (with particular nods to Val Kilmer’s returning Iceman and Teller who plays Goose’s son). Final 45 minutes will have you on the edge of your seat. Bullseye! Continue reading →
May 29, 2022 “Dark Cloud” (**1/2 out of four) was a mildly engaging futuristic sci/fi thriller about a young woman (Alexys Gabrielle) who endures a horrific accident and then volunteers herself to be subject to artifical intelligence for rehabilitation. Derivative amalgam of “A.I.”, “2001: A Space Odyssey”, and just about every other movie about the future and robots but directed with enough mood and style by Jay Ness to keep it watchable. Gabrielle is strong in the lead and Nathan Eby/Chad Fjerstad’s striking musical score is an undeniable plus. Continue reading →
May 29, 2022 “Last Seen Alive” (*1/2 out of four) was a ludicrious suspense thriller about a husband (Gerard Butler fighting his Scottish accent and losing) whose wife (Jaimie Alexander) mysteriously vanishes from a gas station and he has to delve into the criminal underbelly of the entire town that seems to be in a conspiracy to kill her. Passable beginning soon goes astray as script and story get more improbable and ridiculous by the minute. Film is so close to the story of “The Vanishing” that you might assume it’s a remake but it’s not even though this will likely vanish from theatres soon. Continue reading →
May 29, 2022 “Zero Contact” (*1/2 out of four) was an incomprehensible mishmash set almost entirely online in which multiple people (Anthony Hopkins, Adrian Hart, Aleks Paunovic, and others) become enmeshed and entangled in each other’s lives with a multitude of consequences. Filmed in 22 countries during the 2020 pandemic but you wonder why the filmmakers went through all the bother. Game cast struggles to breathe life into story with almost “zero” interest. Continue reading →
May 29, 2022 “Bad Influence” (** out of four) was a trite suspense melodrama about a single mom (Jennie Garth) whose daughter (Devin Cecchetto) makes a new friend (Kayleigh Shikanai) at school who turns out to be (as the title implies) a very bad influence and she soon notices changes in her daughter’s behavior. Former 90210 siren Garth is amusingly cast as the dedicated mom but that’s about it for surprises. Film feels like something you have seen at least 90210 times before. Byetheway, this is not a remake of the 1990 Rob Lowe/James Spader cult classic of the same name Continue reading →
May 26, 2022 “Trip” (** out of four) was a grim psychodrama about a grieving mother (Akasha Villobolos) whose daughter (Jill Young) committed suicide and is visited by an unconventional therapist (Peggy Schott) who provides her with a hallucinogenic drug that allows her to communicate with the dead; she initially accepts and thinks this is great but soon finds that this has progressive psychoactive and mental complications she never imagined. Interesting story about bereavement and the want/need to communicate with those who have passed but story eventually becomes over-the-top and unpleasant. Villobolos’ strong performance keeps this watchable but this overall is not a “trip” worth taking. Continue reading →
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