January 23, 2021 “Crazy 2 Crazy” (* out of four) was an unbearable psychodrama about a psychopath (Mark Ashworth) who stumbles into the household of a family of psychopaths (Robert Pralgo and Maria Malcolm) who turn the tables on him and try to torment him and they have to match psychopathic and sociopathic skills to outwit one another. Potentially intriguing story of intellectual and criminal minds going against one another is sorely bungled by ham-fisted direction, unpleasant storytelling, and failed attempts at black humor and irony. For a sharper and more stylish look at virtually the same story, watch 1998’s “Suicide Kings” instead. Continue reading →
January 22, 2021 “Slayed” (* out of four) was a slayingly awful horror show set five years after a previous Christmas Eve massacre in which a mass murderer in a Santa Claus outfit returns to a water treatment facility to start terror up again and start killing but the sole survivor (Mike Capozzi) from his last murder spree and a new security guard (Jim Klock) are waiting for him which leads to a horrific showdown. Utterly stupid and unpleasant; the in-your-face acting and direction is no help. Both Klock and Capozzi directed and Klock also wrote the script making this their Christmas present equivalent of a lump of coal. Continue reading →
January 21, 2021 “Born A Champion” (*** out of four) was a robust melodrama about a middle-aged jujitsu expert (Sean Patrick Flannery) who is suddenly pulled away from everything he loves and is given a chance for a rematch in an underground MMA tournament against the martial arts fighter (Edsen Baboza) who illegally disfigured him decades ago! Thoroughly predictable movie covers all the obvious bases but does it with such passion and conviction engrained in Flannery’s fervent performance that it’s a powerful watch just the same. Plus as a bonus- the MMA and fight scenes are very tense and well-captured and were not used with any stunt doubles. Flannery also scripted. Dennis Quaid has a minor role as a fight promoter. Continue reading →
January 20, 2021 “Run Hide Fight” (**1/2 out of four) was an efficiently done action melodrama about a precocious 17-year old (Isabel May) who has to fight for her life and rise to the challenge of saving her friends and other students when a group of live-streaming shooters come in and terrorize the school and subsequently the local media and police (led by Treat Williams) become involved. Tension-to-action sequences keep you watching and on the edge of your seat but film is hindered by mediocre production values, and its cheap-looking cinematography in particular. First film ever produced by conservative media company The Daily Wire. Continue reading →
January 19, 2021 “Don’t Tell A Soul” (***1/2 out of four) was a striking, sinuous melodrama about two thieving teenage brothers (Fionn Whitehead and Jack Dylan Grazer) who steal money to help their ailing mother (Mena Suvari) who are found out by a security guard (Rainn Wilson) who falls to the bottom of a well; one tries to help him while the other wants to kill him to erase any involvement in their crime but all is not what it seems. Captivating story is complex and intricate and enhanced by a razor-sharp screenplay, Guillermo Garza’s rich and moody cinematography and superb, dynamite acting all across the board. A bullseye effort from writer/director Alex McAulay in his directorial debut. Continue reading →
January 18, 2021 “Outside The Wire” (*** out of four) was a slick, intensely visceral pulp action thriller set in the not-too-distant future in which a drone pilot (Damson Idris) is penalized for disobeying orders that resulted in a military attack and is sent to a war zone and paired with a highly trained android officer (Anthony Mackie) who is on a mission to stop a nuclear attack involving Russia that could result in World War III. Explosive movie gets a little overcomplicated in its second half making it a little hard to follow but it never stops moving and giving you action and breathless set pieces to watch and take in. Both Mackie and Idris are first-rate and make up for film’s sometimes derivative origins and ideas. Continue reading →
January 18, 2021 “The Wrong Mr. Right” (* out of four) was a mind-numbingly stupid, ridiculous suspense thriller about a successful businesswoman (Krista Allen) who meets a smooth-talker (Rib Hillis) and ignores repeated warning signs and her daughter’s (Anna Marie Dobbins) suspicions and chooses to marry him, never realizing that he is both a sociopath and a psychopath intent on taking over her life. Insultingly dumb and packed with logic gaps and plot holes; this is by far the worst of Vivica Fox’s “wrong” series and makes you long for her to start making some “right” choices with her career once again. Continue reading →
January 17, 2021 “Batman: Soul Of The Dragon” (** out of four) was a slight (and slightly confusing) entry in the “Batman” animated series set in the 1970’s in which the Dark Knight (voiced by David Giuntoli) teams up with Lady Shiva (voiced by Kelly Hu) and a fellow martial arts student (voiced by Michael Jai White) to locate their missing sensei (voiced by James Hong) who vanished under mysterious circumstances. Colorful animation and good vocal “performances” make this watchable for die-hard Batfans but plot is too abstract and difficult to get involved in. Hardcore comic fan Jeremy Adams wrote the script. Continue reading →
January 16, 2021 “The Marksman” (*1/2 out of four) was a drably done dud about a financially strapped rancher (Liam Neeson) on the Arizona border who attempts to protect a young Mexican boy (Jacob Perez) but is unaware that he is being pursued by a deadly drug cartel and they have to go on the run together forming an unlikely bond while trying to stay alive. Leaden story feels like reheated Peckinpah and features surprisingly little action. Neeson tries but looks more tired than usual; this one sorely misses the mark. Continue reading →
January 16, 2021 “Curse Of Aurore” (*1/2 out of four) was a sodden horror thriller about a thumb drive found on the web which reveals disturbing footage documenting three aspiring filmmakers (Llana Barron, Lex Wilson, Jordan Kaplan) on a script-writing trip to Quebec and how they later turned up missing. Yet another found-footage horror movie in which the footage should have stayed lost; no suspense or scares and none of the characters (or actors) are particularly engaging. Barron also co-wrote this clunker. Continue reading →
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