Category: Uncategorized

“Silent Rose” (** out of four) was an earnest but monotonous melodrama filmed mostly in black-and-white set during the aftermath of the 2016 election as various students and teachers (Marquel Alexander, Diego Bateman, Shatira Herrera, and others) discuss their feelings on racial inequality and social injustice and how it affects their lives and many others at their high school and in contemporary America. Give director Mitch Dickman points for trying to make an intelligent rumination on politics and American society and its affect on youth but results are preachy, superficial, and forgettable. Even still, this won big at some independent film festivals earlier this year.

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“Stay Out Of The Fu–ing Attic” (*1/2 out of four) was a fu–ing ridiculous timewaster about a group of ex-cons (Ryan Francis, Morgan Alexandria, and Bryce Fernelius) who become professional movers who are hired by a creepy client (Michael Flynn) and subsequently become locked in his house and soon find out that he is the Angel Of Death Dr. Josef Mengele and plans on killing them all. Exploitative and unpleasant movie distastefully uses a controversial and reprehensible figure in telling an otherwise clunky horror story. Stay Away From This Fu—ing Movie would be a better title for this trifle.

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“Dark Web: Cicada 3301” (**12 out of four) was an intermittently engaging sci/fi action thriller about a hacker (Jack Kesy), his best friend (Ron Funches), and a mysterious librarian (Conor Leslie) who find themselves all over their head in global and international intrigue when they are recruited by the secret society of a corporation known as the dark web. Director Alan Ritchson overdirects with as much energy and style as possible in trying to make this entertaining but it all becomes a bit numbing after a while. Not bad but after a while may remind you more of a video game than an actual movie.

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“Coming 2 America” (** out of four) was a misfired sequel to the 1988 comedy classic about the African monarch Akeem (Eddie Murphy) who learns he has a long-lost son (Jermaine Fowler) in the United States and must journey back with his friend Semmi (Arsenio Hall) to build a relationship with him so he can one day take over the royal kingdom of Zamunda. Amusing at first and heartwarming to see all of the original cast members (Shari Headley, John Amos, James Earl Jones, etc.) reunited but soon goes downhill alarmingly and runs out of energy and laughs and never fully recovers. Murphy is more of a bystander for most of the story and much of the original players are wasted; Wesley Snipes fares best as a rival general.

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“More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story” (*** out of four) was a moving documentary about the late actor Pat Morita who overcame incredible health obstacles to start a career as a stand-up comic and action actor only to find his greatest success in “The Karate Kid” as karate mentor Mr. Miyagi but all of this was overcome by his battle with alcoholism which eventually killed him. An interesting look at an actor that few people knew behind his famous Miyagi persona and a devastating look at alcoholism and the effects it has on one’s family and career. Film features extensive interviews with Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, and various members of Morita’s family.

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“More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story” (*** out of four) was a moving documentary about the late actor Pat Morita who overcame incredible health obstacles to start a career as a stand-up comic and action actor only to find his greatest success in “The Karate Kid” as karate mentor Mr. Miyagi but all of this was overcome by his battle with alcoholism which eventually killed him. An interesting look at an actor that few people knew behind his famous Miyagi persona and a devastating look at alcoholism and the effects it has on one’s family and career. Film features extensive interviews with Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, and various members of Morita’s family.

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“Chaos Walking” (** out of four) was a lumpy sci/fi adaptation of Patrick Ness’ novel set in yet another dystopian future in which there are no women and everyone can hear one another’s thoughts in a stream of sounds called Noise; one rogue survivor (Tom Holland) finds an actual woman (Daisy Ridley) and they struggle to survive across an increasingly disparate landscape. Disappointing result from director Doug Liman who scored big with “The Bourne Identity” and “Go”; this time his story is glum, empty, and covers all-too-familiar terrain. By this point- the future just ain’t what it used to be. Filmed in 2017 and then sat on the shelf and had extensive reshoots in 2019.

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“The Devil Below” (** out of four) was an elegantly made but empty horror story set in Appalachian country in which a team of underground researchers (Adan Canto, Jonathan Sadowski, Alicia Sanz, and others) attempt to go below-the-earth to find out how various fires have started and soon find otherworldly havoc and have to fight to stay alive. Unfortunately, they didn’t find anything that neither “The Descent” nor “The Cave” found first which results in this film having a derivative sense of deja-vu. Crisp direction from Bradley Parker and stylish cinematography from Morgan Susser help to keep film watchable but it still feels overly programmed and routine.

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“Sentinelle” (*** out of four) was a harrowing melodrama about a French solider (Olga Kurayenko) who returns home after a traumatizing combat mission and has to combat paralyzing symptoms of PTSD and anxiety while trying to re-adapt back to everyday life and then trying to track down the man who harmed her sister. Tense mixture of action story and mental health personal drama is held together by Kurayenko who is superb as usual and makes you overlook story weaknesses. Refreshingly compact and succinct also, at only an hour-and-20 minutes.

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