January 31, 2022 “The Ledge” (*** out of four) was a hair-raising action thriller about a mountain climber (Brittany Ashworth) whose climbing and survival skills are put to the test when she witnesses a murder and is chased up a mountain by four killers (Ben Lamb, Nathan Welsh, and others) and she has to both evade and outsmart them one-by-one. Acting is OK and there are more than a few implausibilities but genuinely scary climbing footage combined with solidly built story tension make this a winner. No “Cliffhanger” or “Rambo” but still keeps you on the edge-of-your-seat. Continue reading →
January 29, 2022 “In The Forest” (*1/2 out of four) was a by-the-numbers timewaster about a mother (Debbon Ayer) out on a camping trip with her family (Lymon Ward and Kaitlyn Dias) which turns horrific when they are terrorized by an angry landowner (Don Baldaramos) and she stumbles onto his property and uncovers a terrifying secret. Yet another “Deliverance” ripoff that fails to deliver; no suspense and hardly any surprises or scares. Nice to see Ward back on screen but he would have been better off collecting his “Ferris Bueller” royalties. Continue reading →
January 29, 2022 “Dracula: The Original Living Vampire” (*1/2 out of four) was an anemic horror thriller about detective Amelia Van Helsing (Christine Prouty) investigating a series of increasingly grisly murders and all clues point to the powerful Count Dracula (Jake Herbert) but she soon finds that this investigation puts her and her dying father (Michael Ironside) in the crossfire. By the standards of the library of “Dracula” films, this one sucks- with poor pacing and stuffy and dull characters. Rabid horror fans would best watch the “Dracula” films from the 1940’s- they have a lot more life and scares than this unoriginal timewaster. Continue reading →
January 29, 2022 “The Requin” (*1/2 out of four) was a boring suspense thriller about a couple (Alicia Silverstone and James Tupper) on a romantic getaway when a tropical storm destroys their villa and leaves them lost at sea while a ravenous shark swims around and puts them in even more bloody jeopardy. Umpteenth killer shark movie is more-or-less a remake of “Open Water” and is cheaply done and plodding. Silverstone proves she can scream with the best of them but this role isn’t quite the comeback she is looking for. Continue reading →
January 28, 2022 “Run And Gun” (*1/2 out of four) was a wearily derivative action melodrama about a reformed underworld criminal (Ben Milliken) who is blackmailed to do one final job to collect a mysterious package and then is double-crossed by a ruthless assassin (Mark Dacascos) who wants him dead and he has no choice but to turn to his past impulses and instincts in order to survive. Film recycles and regurgitates from so many other (and better) underworld action thrillers that it runs on exhaust fumes. Adam Lee’s vibrant cinematography is a definite plus but don’t “run” to the Redbox machine for this one. Continue reading →
January 28, 2022 “American Sicario” (** out of four) was a tired underworld saga about an American gangster (Phillippe A. Haddad) who wants to achieve a Macchiavellian rise in the ranks of the Mexican underworld but his overzealousness soon puts him at odds with various members of the Mexican cartels (Danny Trejo, Maurice Compte, and others) and puts him right in the crossfire of death. Competently made and acted but film is mostly a rehash of the similarly titled “Sicario” and the much more potent and serpentine “Traffic.” Trejo adds some style as always in a key supporting part but he can play this role in his sleep by now. Continue reading →
January 27, 2022 “Death Of A Telemarketer” (*1/2 out of four) was a flat-footed satirical comedy about a smooth-talking telemarketer (Lamorne Morris) who is held hostage and at the mercy of a father-son team (Jackie Earle Haley and Haley Joel Osment) whom he tried to swindle and he has to use all his communication and selling skills to outwit them and try to survive. Potentially funny and pointed comedy is bungled by witless screenplay and unlikeable characters. Yet another three-character chamber piece that might have worked better on stage but as a feature film, it’s something you want to hang up on pretty quickly. Continue reading →
January 27, 2022 “Found Wandering Lost” (*1/2 out of four) was a directionless melodrama about a man (Kyle Dyck) on the run from violent hit men who meets a drifter (Jeffrey Staab) on the road and the two form a strange and surreal friendship that gives their lives unexpected meaning and fulfillment. Rambling and pointless story offers no such meaning and fulfillment whatsoever to the viewer. This goes nowhere for nearly two hours. Some beautiful vistas of Kansas provide film’s sole merit. Continue reading →
January 27, 2022 “The Shuroo Process” (*1/2 out of four) was an artificial romantic melodrama about a young woman (Fiona Dourif) who is fed up with the declining fortunes of her career in journalism and the breakup with a recent partner and then becomes enamored with a self-help guru (Donal Brophy) who inspires and empowers her to change her life. Dourif and her father (Brad Dourif) share a few scenes together and Eric Roberts shows up late in the game as himself but that’s about it here for originality. Brophy also co-wrote this but the whole “process” was a real waste. Continue reading →
January 27, 2022 “Birds Like Us” (***1/2 out of four) was a visually extravagant animated feature about a group of birds (voices of Alicia Vikander, Jeremy Irons, Jim Broadbent, and others) who are flying away in search of a better home for themselves and their families but find that it is going to be an incredible journey. Story and script are thin at best but spectacular and richly detailed animation takes center-stage with wall-to-wall extraordinary visuals that are colorful, psychedelic, and hypnotic. A must-see for animation fans and a fun movie for both parents and children. Continue reading →
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