February 4, 2019 “Airplane vs. Volcano” (** out of four) was a strictly by-the-numbers action thriller about a commercial airliner full of passengers (Tamara Goodwin, Dean Cain, Matt Mercer, and others) which becomes trapped in a destructive ring of erupting volcanoes and they must band together to survive while the military down below debates on whether to save them or shoot them down before they crashland. Special effects and stunts aren’t bad considered the film’s threadbare budget but movie is a routine cocktail of “Snakes On A Plane”, “Volcano”, and numerous other disaster pictures. Robin Givens has a small part as a sympathetic military advisor who attempts to help land the plane. Continue reading →
February 4, 2019 “Slasher Party” (* out of four) was an unbearable horror show about a group of social media friends and bad actors (Sole Bovelli, Isabella Brenza, Johannes Bartl, and others) who gather for a party in the Hollywood hills but soon find that the party is crashed by a crazy masked killer. Even at only 80 minutes, this is pretty brutal and fails to even deliver any scares or hardly any gory kills. Annoying characters mesh all-too-well with equally annoying performances. Danny Trejo has a token cameo at the end but horror fans would still best “party” elsewhere Continue reading →
February 3, 2019 “Cold Pressed” (*1/2 out of four) was a cold-hearted story of a corrupt olive oil entrepreneur (Ted Harvey) whose life soon spirals out of control with excess and underworld violence when he forms an alliance with a business partner (Michael Placencia). Yet another character melodrama in which none of the characters are likeable so it’s hard to care about them and even harder to care about the movie as well. Story centers around the secrets and financials of olive oil and if that doesn’t sound like much to get excited about, you wouldn’t be wrong. Continue reading →
February 3, 2019February 3, 2019 “The Awakening” (** out of four) was an elegant but empty horror thriller set in England in 1921 in which a hoax exposer (Rebecca Hall) visits a boarding school to explain the sightings of a child ghost and finds that her psychological world begins to crumble as she falls for a teacher (Dominic West) and she finds that him and others may have sinister intentions. Strong acting and filmmaking holds your interest for a while but story eventually stalls and gets tiresome and tedious and final half-hour begins to go off the rails. By the end, it ends up to be much ado about nothing. Continue reading →
February 3, 2019 “Creepy Clowns” (* out of four) was a dreadful horror thriller about a mild-mannered guy (Pete Jacelone) who develops serious psychological and psychotic disorders resulting from childhood experiences with a clown and finds himself developing a monstrous alter ego as a sadistic killer clown who likes to tickle and torture others (and the audience). One-note story is as unimaginative and blunt as its title. In-your-face direction and excess gore and tastelessness doesn’t help matters. For a much more entertaining and stylish movie, watch “Killer Klowns From Outer Space”. Continue reading →
February 2, 2019 “Black Ghost” (** out of four) was a muddled melodrama about an ex-commando (Sean Schliwa) living in Australia who carries out contracts as a murderer-for-hire for anyone who hires him but suddenly makes a prayer for the dying and decides to stop killing. He is soon coaxed out of this retirement by the daughter of a prominent murdered couple but soon begins to question whether he should fulfill this contract or remain in his shell. Tense and gripping at first but story loses focus and grip as it goes along, and becomes more-of-the-same underworld action melodrama after a while. Not bad but not exactly memorable either. Continue reading →
February 2, 2019 “An Affair To Die For” (** out of four) was a tired, predictable melodrama about a secret tryst between two married adults (Claire Forlani, Jake Abel) which soon turns deadly when she soon finds out that he’s vindictive and evil. But who’s exactly turning the tables on who? Competently made and directed but without any surprises whatsoever which renders this yet another “Fatal Attraction” wannabe. More steamy and lurid than you might expect but this is still “an affair” to forget. Continue reading →
January 30, 2019 “Serenity” (** out of four) was a disappointing thriller about a grizzled fishing boat captain (Matthew McConaughey) who encounters a woman (Anne Hathaway) from his past and they conspire to free her from her loveless marriage to her loutish husband (Jason Clarke) by killing him but naturally all is not what it seems. Starts off intriguing but story goes so far afield and becomes bewildering, pretentious, and extremely weird that by the time of its climax it winds up empty. McConaughey’s usual charisma and sleek photography on the island of Mauritius help to keep this watchable. Hathaway is miscast as a femme fatale. Continue reading →
January 28, 2019 “The Kid Who Would Be King” (** out of four) was a mediocre children’s fantasy adventure about a group of kids (Louis Ashborne Serkis, Tom Taylor, Dean Chaumoo, and others) who find King Arthur’s sword and find they are destined to embark on a quest to thwart a medieval force of evil which threatens destruction to all of England. Some good action scenes and impressive visual effects (love the climactic battle in the school) but film takes too long to get going and then too long to get where it’s going at two hours. Young cast of kids are likeable but this is best left to young kids. Patrick Stewart, who once starred in “Excalibur”, has a small but key role as the wizard Merlin. Continue reading →
January 28, 2019 “If Beale Street Could Talk” (** out of four) was a heavy-handed story of a woman in Harlem (Kiki Layne) who discovers she’s pregnant which leads to clashes within her family and this becomes even more difficult when her fiancee (Stephan James) is arrested and she has to attempt to help prove his innocence. Director Barry Jenkins once again proves he’s strong on atmosphere and works well with actors but story wanders and is unfocused and is thus never as compelling or moving as you want it to be. Many loved this film so you may want to judge for yourself. Layne is strong in the lead role and Regina King is first-rate as usual as her mom. Continue reading →
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