August 23, 2019 “Jacob’s Ladder” (** out of four) was an unnecessary remake of the 1990 melodrama about an Afghanistan combat vet (Michael Ealy) who starts to become plagued by nightmarish hallucinations and flashbacks and tries to reconnect with his former war buddies to find out if he is losing his mind or if this other reality is really real. Much like the original- this features good performances (Ealy is strong in the lead) and some striking imagery but is depressing, unpleasant, and ugly after a while. Some interesting plot elements involving PTSD and war are carried over from the original but these have been more effectively covered in other films (“American Sniper”, “Good Kill”). Continue reading →
August 23, 2019 “Suburban Coven” (* out of four) was a disastrously lame and dull melodrama about a newlywed couple (Elle Taylor and David Ford) who suffer a traumatic accident and then enter a period of sexual dysfunction and are subsequently pulled into a dangerous game involving their mysterious new neighbors (James Burleson and Tiffany Griffin) but this puts them all in personal and psychological danger with one another. Promoted as a horror movie which it is not although the bad acting and writing gets to be pretty scary after a while. Subpar suburban psychodrama feels like reheated David Lynch from “Blue Velvet” and “Twin Peaks” but the recipe is awfully stale by now. Continue reading →
August 23, 2019 “Angel Has Fallen” (*** out of four) was an explosive third entry in this blockbuster series about aging Secret Service agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) who saves the new President (Morgan Freeman) from a deadly terrorist attack that leaves the rest of his team dead but is subsequently framed for his attempted murder and has to take it on the run to prove his innocence and uncover whose really behind this large-scale conspiracy. Action-packed story never lets up and maintains its grip and tension thanks to Butler who is superb in the lead and also a strong supporting cast, including Nick Nolte as his grizzled dad and Danny Huston in a key role as his friend. Continue reading →
August 23, 2019 “The Command” (** out of four) was a less-than-commanding submarine action drama based on the true story of the K-141 Kursky disaster in 2001 in which multiple sailors (Matthias Schoenarts, Peter Simonischeck, and others) had to fight for survival while their concerned families and commodore (Colin Firth) were stonewalled by government bucreaucracy (led by Max Von Sydow) and negligence. Interesting and gripping at first but it gradually sputters and stalls and never fully regains its dramatic interest although it remains watchable. Yet another submarine movie that falters in comparison to “Das Boot” or even “Crimson Tide.” Continue reading →
August 22, 2019 “The Chain” (** out of four) was a murky thriller about a young former doctor (John Patrick Amedori) who enlists the assistance of a suicide company for his elderly and violent father (Ray Wise) but finds that he must kill someone first and this takes its toll on his mental and psychological well-being as he decides whether to take part in this and flashes back to his difficult childhood. Well-acted but overdone and unpleasant movie full of flashbacks and repeated scenes of verbal and physical abuse. Wise is good playing more-or-less the same role he played in “Twin Peaks” but Madeline Zima and Adrienne Barbeau are wasted in minor roles. Continue reading →
August 21, 2019 “Desperate Cowboys” (** out of four) was a lurid melodrama about a dying attorney (George Avgoustis) who turns to his son (Carter Burch) to commit a robbery in an attempt to save his life which naturally goes horribly wrong and a relentless bail bondsman (Scott Lucas) and a homicidal bounty hunter/cowboy (Kevin Hartzman) become involved and all of their lives become in a bloody crossfire. By the standards of these Tarantino/Coen Bros/Michael Mann imitations, this isn’t bad and is lifted above the routine by good acting and storytelling, but its hindered by low-budget production values and its sleaze and amorality leave a bad taste after a while. Continue reading →
August 21, 2019 “Low Low” (*1/2 out of four) was a pretentious and exploitive teenage melodrama about four high-school girls (Dominique Columbus, Brie Mattson, Elaine Hendrix, Emmy Newman) on their last day of summer who ponder their lives full of sex, violence, and partying and their uncertain future and the moral and personal crossroads they are at in life with adulthood right around the corner. Nondescript film has little to recommend it, even for fans of violence and sex. “Kids” more-or-less told the same story with a lot more grit and style more than 20 years ago. Continue reading →
August 21, 2019 “Don’t Leave Home” (* out of four) was an indescribably dull horror show about an American artist (Anna Marget Hollyman) who ventures to Ireland to learn more about the origins of an urban legend at a crumbling estate but (to the surprise of no one) the legend is alive and well and all Hell subsequently breaks loose. In-name only horror movie has no horror and no scares and is an absolute bore. Even the Ireland scenery looks dreary and ugly. Hollyman’s sincere performance is utterly wasted. “Don’t Watch” would be a much more apt title for this clunker. Continue reading →
August 20, 2019 “Alcatraz” (* out of four) was a dreadful prison melodrama that holds the audience hostage with cheap production values and terrible acting; on the infamous Alcatraz Island, a group of prisoners (Gareth Lawrence, Mark Homer, Lee Bane, and others) attempt to escape all while ruminating the difficulties and emotional pain of being incarcerated and without freedom. This garish time-waster plays like a low-budget rip-off of “The Shawshank Redemption” but (to put it mildly) these guys don’t have the expansive thespianism of Tim Robbins or Morgan Freeman. Continue reading →
August 20, 2019 “Hoax” (* out of four) was an aptly titled fiasco about an investigative team (Brian Thompson, Ben Browder, Cheryl Texiera, and others) who travel deep into the Colorado wilderness to unravel a series of gruesome murders and come to realize that the vicious beast that may be out on the prowl may be Bigfoot. Unfortunately, Bigfoot turns out to be a large guy in a very bad animal suit. Unbearable horror show is a real snooze. Adrienne Barbeau shows up for all of one scene but it’s movies like these that have kept her career in a real fog. Continue reading →
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