September 11, 2019 “Hellmington” (** out of four) was a cold-hearted melodrama about a weary detective (Nicole Correia-Demude) whose father recently died and she investigates his last words which involved the name of a girl who has been missing for 9 years while her ambiguous uncle (Michael Ironside) watches over her from the sidelines. Good performances and filmmaking hold your attention for a while but can only do so much with this unpleasant story, and film’s ending is a serious letdown. We all have to pay the bills but can’t Ironside play a different type of role for once? Continue reading →
September 10, 2019 “Stained” (*1/2 out of four) was a wretched action melodrama which turns out to actually be a modern-day retelling of “Macbeth” about two criminals named John and Jane Macbeth (Edward Gusts and Arielle Brachfield) who scheme to rise to the top of their criminal element at all costs but soon find that the personal nature of those costs are more than they imagined. Attempt at re-telling Shakespeare in the modern day probably looked good on paper but doesn’t translate to film. After a while, you’ll likely be numbed by all the sleaze. Continue reading →
September 10, 2019 “Witnesses” (* out of four) was a stupefyingly awful horror thriller about two moronic film-school students (Jesse Howland and Connor Floyd) who decide to shoot their student film in an abandoned warehouse in which they soon find out that a ruthless drug cartel is utilizing this same warehouse for murders and trafficking sex slaves. Floyd’s obnoxious character (and performance) completely sinks this although the film does marginally improve once they get to the warehouse and are pursued. Relentlessly shaky and irritating camera movements may cause you to reach for dramamine. Continue reading →
September 10, 2019 “Christmas Break-In” (** out of four) was a silly children’s romp about a precocious 9-year old (Cameron Seely) whose parents can’t pick her up on time at school for Christmas break in the midst of an overwhelming blizzard so it is up to her to save the day when a pair of bumbling crooks (Katrina Begin and Sean O’Bryan) break into the school and kidnap the kindly school janitor (Danny Glover). The kind of children’s movie which gives the word contrivance a bad name but young girls may like it anyway. Glover and Seely try to inject as much charm as they can but suffice to say this is no “Home Alone.” Continue reading →
September 9, 2019 “It: Chapter Two” (*** out of four) was a hair-raising second entry in the adaptation of Stephen King’s classic novel set 27 years after the original in which the now grown up members of The Losers Club (James Macavoy, Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, and others) are all brought back together by the return of the murderous clown Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard) and the need to put an end to their dark and unfinished childhood. Long at nearly three hours but masterfully told and crafted by director Andy Muschietti and cinematographer Checco Varese and (most importantly) features a very likeable cast who have strong camaraderie and chemistry together. Much more cerebral and gorier than the first but just as intense. Continue reading →
September 9, 2019 “Room For Murder” (** out of four) was an obvious, empty thriller about a girl (Lorynn York) who returns home from college and finds that a new tenant (James Maslow) who is living with her mother (Tanya Clarke) is also having an affair with her and also has a dark and mysterious past which soon comes to the surface. An anthology of thriller cliches made for anyone who has not seen a thriller before. For the rest of us, it’s competently made and acted but thoroughly routine and predictable. Easy to see why this bypassed theaters and premiered on television. Continue reading →
September 8, 2019 “Eternal Code” (* out of four) was an eternally awful thriller about a woman (Erika Hoveland) who discovers a significant flaw in the new fountain of youth invention that her company has invented and tries to correct this but finds that the administrators (Richard Tyson and Billy Wirth) want this to be silenced at any cost. A total waste of time, as unlikeable and unappealing characters are involved in a story that makes no sense at all. It’s always fun to see Tyson on screen but he may never top his role in “Three O’Clock High.” Continue reading →
September 8, 2019 “The Fanatic” (* out of four) was a horrendous thriller about an autistic and mentally handicapped man named Moose (John Travolta) whose unhealthy obsession with a film actor (Devan Sewa) gradually becomes psychotic. If you’ve wanted to see a mix of “I Am Sam” with “The Fan” then look no further but film is crude, stupid, and exploitative. You’d unfortunately expect nothing less from Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst who directed this mess. Travolta tries but is really tough to take in the lead role Continue reading →
September 7, 2019 “Dauntless: The Battle Of Midway” (*1/2 out of four) was an inept melodrama focusing on the pivotal WWII battle at Midway and how two soldiers (Joe Barrino and Aidan Bristow) were adrift at sea and facing certain death and awaiting to be rescued while their military superiors (C. Thomas Howell and Judd Nelson) figure out how to save them and not lose the war. Film looks cheap and completely lacks any tension or intrigue and co-stars Nelson and Howell are wasted. For a much grander look at the same subject, watch 1976’s “Midway” instead. Continue reading →
September 7, 2019 “Satanic Panic” (*1/2 out of four) was an extremely dumb comedy about a pizza delivery girl (Hayley Griffith) who has to fight for her life- and her tips- when an out-of-the-way delivery turns out to be a group of elite satanists (Rebecca Romjin, Jerry O’Connell, Ruby Modine, and others) who need a virgin sacrifice. Griffith’s likeable performance provides the only sparks to this toothless confection. O’Connell is only in the movie for all of one scene so at this point his career looks in a state of panic Continue reading →
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