March 20, 2019 “Captive State” (*** out of four) was an engrossing melodrama set in Chicago in which an extra-terrestial force has invaded Earth which imposes strict martial law on all humans. One earnest and dedicated cop (John Goodman) attempts to unite humanity against the aliens while the son (Ashton Sanders) of his former partner conspires others to rise up and question the authority that the invasion has begun. Less than perfect, with a few ups-and-downs in its story and pacing, but more thought-provoking than most of its kind and Goodman and Sanders are solid. Alex Kisenhof’s crisp cinematography is a major asset through-out. Continue reading →
March 20, 2019 “Suburban Swingers Club” (** out of four) was an enervatingly predictable melodrama about a young married couple (Dana Davis and Jesse Ruda) who agree to take part in a swinger party in their neighborhood but subsequently have feelings of guilt and conflict and things take a turn for the worse when they are then targeted by a homicidal and jealous neighbor. Ho-hum and by-the-numbers story has a few provocative ideas but you’ve seen this done before and done much better. Watch “Indecent Proposal” again instead. Continue reading →
March 18, 2019 “For Love Or Money” (**1/2 out of four) was a reasonably engaging screwball comedy about a young dolt (Robert Kazinsky) who realizes his fiancee (Samantha Barks) has been plotting against him so he does his best to plot against her and do everything he can to drive her away only days before the wedding but this only makes them fall in love with each other more. Silly and contrived story is made palatable and entertaining by charismatic cast who play off each other very well and carry this thing almost to the end. Barks, in particular, is first-rate and makes this worth the audience’s money. Continue reading →
March 18, 2019 “Nereus” (*1/2 out of four) was a bizarre and boring horror thriller about a young woman (Itziar Martinez) who visits several friends and begins to have demented visions and is then attacked by an unearthly creature in her friend’s swimming pool and then has to convince her friends that anyone who comes into contact with the water is in severe danger. Give director/co-writer Georges Padey credit for attempting to make an arty type of horror movie but result is a real snooze. Martinez (who co-wrote the script) is solid but is unable to enliven the proceedings. Continue reading →
March 17, 2019 “Murder In Law” (** out of four) was a by-the-numbers and predictable “Mother-In-Law from Hell” melodrama about a young couple (Mark Collier and Kristen Dalton) whose lives are manipulated and their relationship soon torn apart by his evil mother (Barbara Williams). Full of predictable plot turns and plot contrivances although decent performances make this more bearable than most of its kind. Final showdown and plot twist is particularly weak. Why are the main characters in these thrillers always so naive and so dumb? Continue reading →
March 17, 2019 “Stan And Ollie” (*** out of four) was an affectionately done biography of the legendary comic duo Laurel and Hardy (Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly) set during the end of their careers as they realize that their best days may be behind them and the end isn’t too far off as they embark on a theatre tour of post-war Britain. Many laughs and sweet moments as the two bicker and reconfigure as they realize they need one another but film wouldn’t work as well without Coogan and Reilly who are perfectly cast and have exceptional chemistry. Not a great film but a small winner especially for fans of the duo. Continue reading →
March 16, 2019 “Finding Steve McQueen” (** out of four) was a stalled homage to 1970’s action melodramas set in 1972 in which a group of none-too-bright thieves (Travis Fimmel, William Fichtner, Rhys Coiro, and others) from Ohio attempt to steal $30 million in illegal contributions and blackmail money from then-President Richard Nixon’s secret banking fund but naturally things don’t go as planned. Sporadically clever but mostly empty and derivative. Obviously inspired by early works of Tarantino and Scorcese but never catches fire, Continue reading →
March 16, 2019 “Triple Frontier” (*** out of four) was a nerve-wracking action melodrama about 5 ex-Special Forces soldiers (Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaacs,Garrett Hedlund, Charlie Hunnam, Pedro Pascal) who have all moved on in their lives and are settling into middle-age but reform and regroup to improve their various finances and snubs from the government to rob a millionaire cocaine cartel boss at his estate in the Amazon jungle but find there are life-altering risks every step of the way which they may not have been prepared for. Punctuated by jagged scenes of hair-raising gunplay and standoffs but what really makes this connect is the chemistry and camaraderie of all of the soldiers. Isaacs and Affleck stand out as usual in the strong cast. Continue reading →
March 13, 2019 “American Kamasutra” (* out of four) was a laughably awful imitation of the “50 Shades” series about a young girl (Ashlynn Yennie) who gets involved in a dangerous sex triangle when she becomes involved with the none-too-bright writer (Justin Berti) of a popular steamy novel who introduces her to the pleasures and pains of S & M. This lame melodrama whips and beats you with so much dreadful acting and stupid writing and direction that you may feel more abused than the characters are. Strictly for die-hard S & M fans and those who thought their lives were over when “Red Shoe Diaries” was cancelled. Maybe “Showgirls” really wasn’t as bad as we thought back then. Continue reading →
March 12, 2019 “The Landlord” (*1/2 out of four) was a nonsensical thriller about a young girl (Molly McCook) who moves into a luxury apartment complex but soon finds out that her seemingly sweet and accommodating landlord (Ted McGinley) is seriously disturbed and has hidden cameras around her apartment and is watching her. For anyone who has wanted to see a mash-up of “Sliver” and “Fatal Attraction” (with elements of “Psycho” thrown in the mix), look no further, but the film is utterly laughable and predictable. Film geeks may remember McGinley as the main villain Stan Gable from “Revenge Of The Nerds” but I don’t think this role is going to spark his comeback. Continue reading →
dlepikcom 