December 22, 2018 “Shadow Fighter” (*1/2 out of four) was a drably derivative and routine underworld melodrama about an inner-city kid from the wrong side of the tracks (Omar Brunson) who forms an unlikely bond with a homeless ex-boxer (Steve Daron) and they form a mutual alliance to thwart a local thug (Michael Christopher Rodney) who holds a key link to both of their pasts. Film feels like warmed-over remnants of “Rocky” which covered this same territory far much richly and passionately over 40 years ago. Of interest solely for being the penultimate film for legendary Burt Reynolds, even though he appears in flashbacks and is in the film very briefly. For a more knockout crowning of his career, watch “The Last Movie Star” instead. Continue reading →
December 22, 2018 “Spinning Man” (***1/2 out of four) was an enchantingly engrossing murder mystery told in layers and flashbacks as a young woman goes missing and all clues begin to point to the local college professor (Guy Pierce) who is investigated by a hard-nosed police detective (Pierce Brosnan) and even his wife (MInnie Driver) and children begin to suspect his involvement and guilt. But is there more than meets the eye? One of the rare and few contemporary films that invites comparisons to Hitchcock and keeps you guessing with each scene and clue as the plot and script keep turning like a Rubik’s cube that you can’t take your hands or eyes off. Exceptionally well-directed and well-told by Simon Kaijser in (incredibly) his English-language debut and perfected by a superb cast including Pierce, Brosnan, and Driver in their best roles in years. Bullseye! Continue reading →
December 21, 2018 “Nemesis 5: The New Model” (*1/2 out of four) was an inherently derivative and junky futuristic action melodrama set in the year 2077 in which a terrorist organization called The Red Army Hammerheads now dominate the Earth and the fate of mankind as we know it rests in the hands of a new Nemesis model (Schuyler Craig) who must form an army of cyborg humans to destroy the organization and save Earth. Fifth entry in this wearisome series which began all the way back in 1993 is also the first entry in 21 years but this series hasn’t exactly aged like fine wine. This makes the original look like “Blade Runner” or “Robocop” by comparison. Continue reading →
December 21, 2018 “Little Women” (** out of four) is an anachronistic adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic 1868 novel updated to modern times about four women (Sarah Davenport, Allie Jennings, Melanie Stone, Taylor Murphy) and their growing up from childhood to adulthood and their unbreakable bond that holds them together even through turmoil and tragedy. Seventh version of this story (another one is on the way next year) is perfectly watchable but lacks any emotional resonance or nuance and ends up pretty forgettable. Lea Thompson is wasted as the girl’s mother. Davenport fares best as the determined Jo. Continue reading →
December 20, 2018 “The House That Jack Built” (*1/2 out of four) was a lurid melodrama set over the span of 12 years following a serial killer (Matt Dillon) and his path of murderous destruction involving prostitutes and other various individuals who get in his way. Story is narrated by Dillon as he tells his story to a psychiatrist. By the end of this mess, you may feel as if you need a psychiatrist as well. Dillon is good in an unusual and difficult role but this descent into the psyche of a killer is numbing, ugly, and (after a while) boring. What’s more- the film goes on forever at over two-and-a-half hours and shows numerous scenes of women and children being tortured and killed. Similar to Joe Spinnell’s 1980 “Maniac” but that’s not meant as a compliment. Continue reading →
December 20, 2018 “Skateboard Or Die” (* out of four) was an artless action thriller about two lifelong friends (Nicholas Gunn and Ty Hungerford) who run into each other after a time apart and both become immersed in a group of organized crime and murder called The Hunter’s Club in order to stay alive. Ironically, film doesn’t feature that much skateboarding but features plenty of wooden dialogue and characters you can’t care less about. Byetheway, this is not an adaptation of the great video game “Skate Or Die” so video-game addicts can save their quarters and skate right past this. Continue reading →
December 19, 2018 “Bird Box” (**1/2 out of four) was a sporadically effective and creepy horror thriller set in a dystopian future in which a worldwide virus has erupted causing a feisty mother (Sandra Bullock) and her two children to go through civilization blindfolded and they stumble upon a household with other survivors (John Malkovich, Trevante Rhodes, and others). Film cuts back and forth from them being in the house to them being on their own in civilization. Bullock and Malkovich’ usual strong performances and intermittent scares and clever moments are dissipated by film’s overlength. Its cutting back-and-forth narrative structure also becomes annoying after a while. Same story was told more-or-less in M. Night Shymalahan’s “The Happening” in 2008. Continue reading →
December 18, 2018 “Springsteen On Broadway” (** out of four) was a rambling filming of Bruce Springsteen’s blockbuster autobiographical one-man play which concluded it’s record-breaking run this past weekend. Die hard Springsteen fans will want to check this out but it’s awfully long-winded and self-indulgent at nearly three hours. Springsteen is a captivating and charismatic storyteller but you’d just as well read his autobiography “Born To Run” or experience the thunder and power of one of his live shows. Highlights are a stark rendition of “Thunder Road”, “Born In The USA” which sounds strikingly different without its bombast and synthesizers, and his duets with wife Patty Scialfa on “Tougher Than The Rest” and “Brilliant Disguise.” Continue reading →
December 18, 2018 “Spider Man: Into The Spider-Verse” (*** out of four) was a colorful animated action spectacular about a young boy named Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) who is bit by a radioactive spider and morphs into Spider Man but this brings the attention of Peter Parker (voiced by Jake Johnson) who tries to teach him how to be a real superhero which in turn makes him cross paths with the other Spider Men from other dimensions so they can all join forces and stop a ruthless crime lord (voiced by Liev Schreiber) from taking over the city. Plenty of action and striking animation which compensate for the sometimes cluttered story and characterizations. A bit overstuffed but still fun for animation fans and “Spider Man” completists. Continue reading →
December 15, 2018 “Backtrace” (**1/2 out of four) was a reasonably stylish crime melodrama about the lone surviving thief (Matthew Modine) of a violent car robbery gone wrong who is paroled from a high-security facility and given an experimental drug to help him fully restore his memories of his actions and his cohorts but he soon finds that two hard-noses cops (Sylvester Stallone and Christopher McDonald) and his former criminal partners are onto him. Imperfect and uneven, as story takes its time getting going, but once it does it shoots into high-gear as Modine’s strong lead work and film’s explosive pacing end up carrying you away. Stallone and McDonald are both good in minor roles and both make a good team. Continue reading →
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