April 2, 2021 “The Leprechaun’s Game” (*1/2 out of four) was an unlucky, charmless horror show about a group of thieves (Daniel Sawicki, Louisa Warren, and others) are sent out on a hunt for an urban legend but soon realize they have stumbled into the realm of the Leprechaun (Bao Tieu) and all their lives are in danger. Dismal entry in this endless series has all the power and spirit of a bad hangover. In other words, this is not quite up to the artistry and imagination of “Leprechaun In The Hood.” Where’s Warwick Davis when you need him? Begorrah! Continue reading →
April 1, 2021 “Witness Infection” (*1/2 out of four) was a witless horror comedy about two rival mob families (Robert Belushi, Jill-Michele Melean, Vince Donvito, and others) who are both placed in witness protection mistakenly in the same city where havoc ensues and a bloodthirsty virus is on the rise that threatens them all. Lame mix of zombie horror with “Godfather”-style comedy based on a clever premise. Melean also co-wrote the strenuously unfunny screenplay. This one ought to sleep with the fishes. Continue reading →
April 1, 2021 “Framing Britney Spears” (**1/2 out of four) was a somewhat incisive documentary about Britney Spears showcasing her rise from being a Disney Mousketeer to a global pop and music phenomenon to someone whose constant targeting and harassing from the media drove her into a highly public meltdown which left her finances and estate in a legal mess which is still ongoing to this day. Overall relatively superficial, as it doesn’t tell you much that most fans don’t already know (and is limited by Spears’ own lack of involvement), although it does succeed in portraying a woman whose meteoric rise and constant bombardment and scrutiny drove her over the edge. Especially interesting for fans who lived through and remember that chaotic time in her life. Continue reading →
March 31, 2021 “Slashorette Party” (*1/2 out of four) was a crudely done timewaster about a young woman (Molly Souza) being taken by her friends (Brooke Morris, Shalene Prasad, and others) to (ho-hum) a cabin in the woods when an uninvited guest happens onto the cabin and ends up slaughtering them one by one. Former adult film star Ginger Lynn plays a psychiatrist here but that’s about all there is for novelty value; film is cluttered with horror cliches and most of the characters are annoying and unlikeable. Slash this one from your list and re-watch “Friday The 13th” or “Halloween” instead. Continue reading →
March 30, 2021 “Bram Stoker’s Van Helsing” (* out of four) was an insufferably dull adaptation of the classic novel about the legendary vampire-slayer (Mark Topping) who is called back to action by Dr. John Seward (Joe Street) when a woman (Charlie Bond) dies of a mysterious illness and people think that evil may be back on the prowl. Perhaps it’s time by now that Hollywood allowed this story to rest in peace; even the 2004 version with Hugh Jackman was a total yawner and this one is even more stuffy and inert. Pretty anemic, as vampire movies go. Continue reading →
March 30, 2021 “Nest Of Vampires” (*1/2 out of four) was a trashy potboiler about a rogue MI5 agent (Tom Fairfoot) who travels to the underworld of England to find the people who killed his wife and kidnapped his daughter and subsequently uncovers a ruthless vampire cult (led by Chris Sanders) who are embroiled in child sex-trafficking and Satanic cult worship. Unpleasant mix of the slick and the sordid runs out of steam pretty quickly. Fairfoot’s strong performance is about all that holds this together. Sanders also wrote and directed. Continue reading →
March 27, 2021 “Slaxx” (*1/2 out of four) was a dumb-and-dumber horror comedy about (get this) a possessed pair of killer jeans who start to systematically kill the staff of a trendy clothing store; it is then up to a feisty young salesclerk (Romane Denis) to stop its bloody rampage before it’s too late. Thin material in the vein of “Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes” lacks scares, laughs, and (most of all) conviction. Even at only an hour-and-17-minutes, film itself is pretty “slack” and weak. Continue reading →
March 27, 2021 “The Canyonlands” (*1/2 out of four) was an utterly rote horror show about five friends (Stephanie Barkley, Marqus Bobesich, Lauren Capkanis, and others) who win a rafting trip in Utah but stop for camping in the woods where they (to the surprise of no one) are besieged by a mutant hillbilly redneck killer. Joyless amalgam of cliches from “Friday The 13th”, “Sleepaway Camp”, “The Cabin In The Woods”, and too many other movies to think of. This has little to recommend it, even for fans of horror and gore. Dispiriting to anyone who remembers when these movies were actually fun. Continue reading →
March 27, 2021 “The Toll” (** out of four) was a leaden horror thriller about a woman (Jordan Hayes) and her Uber driver (Max Topplin) who try to make it to their destination but gradually come to realize they are being haunted by a supernatural threat which makes them grow closer together but threatens their lives. You keep thinking something substantial or significant is going to happen but nothing ever does so film fizzles out. Both Hayes and Topplin do what they can with paper-thin roles. Don’t bother paying the “toll” for this one. Continue reading →
March 27, 2021 “The Banishing” (*1/2 out of four) was a boring horror melodrama set in 1930’s England in which a young reverend (John Heffernan) and his wife and daughter (Jessica Brown Findlay and Anya McKenna-Bruce) move into a mansion that turns out to be haunted although it takes them an awfully long time to figure that out. Umpteenth haunted-house movie is stuffy and blah and goes nowhere for nearly two hours. Yet another shoddy imitation of “The Shining” which is a shining example of why that movie is a classic. Watch “The Vanishing” instead. Continue reading →
dlepikcom 