Category: Uncategorized

“Sour” (* out of four) was a moribund bore about a seedy detective (Adam Berardi) who moves with his niece (Natalie Maher) to a house that’s (what else?) haunted; as if that wasn’t enough, the landlord (Bourke Floyd) turns out to be abusive and sadistic and tries to turn the screws on both of them and they fail to get out until it’s too late. Lifeless exercise in tired horror cliches fails to pulsate with any suspense or energy. Viewers who make it to the end of this claptrap are the real ones who will feel “sour.”

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“Know Fear” (*1/2 out of four) was a dreary supernatural horror thriller about a dedicated husband (David Alan Basche) whose wife (Amy Carlson) suddenly becomes possessed and him and his daughter (Mallory Bechtel) must turn to a ritual book to banish all evil entities from their home and resurrect her spirit back to live. Yet another rip-off of “The Amityville Horror”, “Paranormal Activity”, “The Exorcist” and far too many others to mention. Throws all its horror influences into a collective blender but is completely devoid of style and scares. Title is pretty much the only clever thing here.

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“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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