October 29, 2018 “At Your Own Risk” (*1/2 out of four) was a gloomy, boring melodrama which viewers should watch at their own risk; two lifelong friends (Alexandra Boylan and Helenna Santos) embark on an adventure to save their careers but soon find that they have to save themselves as they are confronted with terror and self-destructive insanity while in the valley. Even at only an hour and 15 minutes, this is a less-than-incredible journey which still feels too sketchy and too long. It would also help if we found the two women the least interesting. Directed by John K.D. Graham who did fine camerawork on “The Avengers” and “True Grit”. Continue reading →
October 28, 2018 “King Of Thieves” (**1/2 out of four) was a moderately entertaining comedy melodrama based on a true story about a group of elderly and retired crooks (Michael Caine, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, Tom Courtenay, and Ray Winstone) who plan one last job in London’s jewelry district which snowballs into a nightmare of greed and murder as everyone finds their worst instincts rising to the surface. Caine and company’s effortless charisma and camaraderie and film’s gritty true-story events make this engaging but there’s a fundamental emptyness to the script and story that prevent this from fully detonating. Not all that different when you think about it than one of Caine’s last features “Going In Style.” Continue reading →
October 28, 2018 “Hide And Go Seek” (* out of four) was a horrendously inept horror show that will likely make viewers want to hide and you can’t imagine anyone wanting to seek out this dreck. A young man (Tate Berney) and his assorted friends must survive a night of hide-and-seek from his demented grandfather (Vernon Wells) who begins to relive war memories from Vietnam and begins to seek them out one at a time. Low-rent from beginning to end, without even the saving grace of humor or any gory kills or style. You’d be much better seeking horror thrills elsewhere. Continue reading →
October 27, 2018 “American Exorcist” (*1/2 out of four) was a congenitally derivative horror show about a paranormal investigator (Falon Joslyn) who becomes trapped in a haunted skyscraper on Christmas Eve and is confronted with supernatural and religious forces unlike any she has investigated before, which all may tie back to (what else?) a mysterious priest (Bill Moseley). Gonzo opening involving a shootout at an office grabs your attention but this has virtually nothing to do with the rest of the story which soon becomes predictable and boring. Moseley is good in an unusual role for him but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be waiting for Rob Zombie’s phone call for “The Devil’s Rejects 2.” Continue reading →
October 27, 2018 “White Orchid” (*1/2 out of four) was a colorless thriller about a hard-nosed investigator (Olivia Thirlby) who assumes the identity of a small-town murder victim in order to solve her gruesome death but this leads to unexpected complications and affairs she didn’t foresee. No relation to the Mickey Rourke cult classic “Wild Orchid” from 1989 but come to think of it, this rips off another thriller with Mickey Rourke “White Sands” from 1992. It’s hard to assume the identity of a dead person when the movie itself is dead to begin with. Jennifer Beals and John Carroll Lynch are wasted in supporting roles as cops. Continue reading →
October 27, 2018 “Air Strike” (*** out of four) was a powerful WWII melodrama about the real-life Japanese bombings of Chongqing which are elaborately re-created in which 5 Chinese soldiers fought their way through the attacks to protect an important military machine. Bruce Willis plays a U.S. military advisor to the Chinese soldiers and Adrien Brody has a small role as an American soldier. Flawed to be sure with some dramatics and characters that don’t pay off but still has plenty of effective moments and good action scenes that recreate the notion of war being Hell. Mel Gibson and Vilmos Zsigmond were consultants on the recreation of the battle scenes. Made in 2015 and was unreleased for several years but worthy of its release Continue reading →
October 26, 2018 “The Griddle House” (*1/2 out of four) was a stale melodrama about a young kid (Alex Shaffer) who is on the hunt for his birth mother but soon finds out she is a regular at the nearby title diner of which he hangs out all day long. Story is narrated in flashbacks as his older self (Luke Perry) reflects on the events leading up to their meeting. For a story about a diner, this is loaded with a lot of empty calories and wasted fat. Film plays like a photographed play but it’s an empty house. Paul Rodriguez has a minor role as one of the diner’s owners but even he can’t breathe much life into this one. Continue reading →
October 26, 2018 “A Raunchy Christmas Story” (* out of four) was a nearly unwatchable mess about a group of friends (Tanya Anderson, Jeremy Biltz, Monica Biltz, and Nathan Boren) who get together on Christmas to help a friend (Chris Andersen) get laid and have some excitement in his life but unbeknownst to all of them, an investigative journalist and a Soviet spy (don’t ask) are among the other guests. Full of stupid writing and obnoxious characters you can’t wait to get away from. Raunchy to be sure but also unpleasant and unfunny. This is one Christmas present you should return to sender. Continue reading →
October 25, 2018 “10 Year Reunion” (*1/2 out of four) was a forgettable thriller about four young women (Kacey Clarke, Kayla Ewell, Jillian Nelson, Anya Engel-Adams) who return home for their high-school reunion and unearth a time capsule which holds their darkest secrets which they realize holds the key to uncovering the mystery behind their best friend’s tragic death ten years earlier. If you went to school with people like these, no one would blame you for turning homicidal either. Plodding and predictable time-waster has a final plot twist that will surprise no one. Continue reading →
October 24, 2018 “Juliet, Naked” (** out of four) was a pleasant but predictable story of a woman (Rose Byrne) stuck in a tepid romance with her boyfriend (Chris O’Dowd) whose obsessed with a faded rock star (Ethan Hawke) whose long-lost demos fall in her hands which leads to a life-changing romance for the both of them. Interesting story of rock stardom and romance needed more fire and a more inspired screenplay. Hawke is amusingly cast and Byrne is charismatic as always but the two are unable to enrich the proceedings. Continue reading →
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