Category: Uncategorized

“Any Bullet Will Do” (** out of four) was a lumbering Western set in 1876 Montana about frontier vengeance in which a determined headhunter (Kevin Makely) attempts to navigate through dangerous mountains with the help of a fur-trapper (Jenny Curtis) to apprehend and kill his murderous brother (Todd A. Robinson). Die-hard Western fans may find this entertaining but it takes a far-too-familiar trail for most of us and has too many lulls especially in the middle. Not bad but not worthy of comparisons to the Clint Eastwood and Sergio Leone films that inspired it.

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“The House With A Clock In Its Walls” (*** out of four) was a delightful adaptation of John Bellairs’ 1973 classic novel about a young boy (Owen Vaccaro) who goes to live in a creaky old house with his uncle (Jack Black) and accidentally summons the spirit of the ghost of the original owner (Kyle Maclachlan under mounds of makeup) who wants to end the world with a clock he made and hid in the house before his death. A spirited change-of-pace for director Eli Roth in his first family children’s movie but this is actually a lot more entertaining than most of his gore bores. Black is much more charismatic than usual and him and Cate Blanchett (as a neighbor and good witch) have great chemistry together.

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“Frenzy” (*** out of four) was an intense, well-made horror thriller about a group of friends (Gina Vitori, Aubrey Reynolds, and others) whose plane crashlands on a scuba-diving trip and they are besieged by a trio of vicious and aggressive Great White sharks. Yes, this is one more in the umpteen series of shark movies but it’s well-acted and has sufficient scares and thrills. Plus as a bonus- those sharks look genuinely real and terrifying! Not the greatest Great White movie (that honor will always go to “Jaws”) but good of its kind.

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“Fahrenheit 11/9” (** out of four) was a scattershot documentary sequel from filmmaker Michael Moore in which he details a scathing indictment and screed against the Trump administration and later the Republican party as a whole. Whether you agree with Moore’s politics will obviously affect your enjoyment of the film but as usual, Moore employs some inconsistencies and embellishments that affect his credibility and thus his film. Intelligent and interesting in parts but this cannot match the intensity or cohesiveness of the previous “Fahrenheit 9/11”.

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“Lizzie” (*1/2 out of four) was a lifeless retelling of the true story of Lizzie Borden (Chloe Sevigny) who was accused and subsequently acquitted of murdering her father (Jamey Sheridan) and stepmom (Fiona Shaw) in 1892 Massachusetts. Not even the ax murders and an erotic love scene between Borden and her housekeeper (Kristen Stewart) can keep this from being dull. Performances are pretty flat and one-note as well. Watch “So I Married An Axe Murderer” instead.

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“Sick For Toys” (*1/2 out of four) was an underwhelming horror story about a single guy (David Gunning), tired of being rejected, who accepts an invitation to have dinner with a new girl (Camille Montgomery) who he has met but upon meeting her and her odd brother (Jon Paul Burkhart) he soon discovers that his life may be in danger. Extremely weird story has a few interesting scenes at the beginning but it soon sputters and becomes over-the-top and unpleasant. You may be “sick” of the movie itself after about 45 minutes.

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“Danger One” (*1/2 out of four) was a dangerously stupid and contrived melodrama about two zany paramedics (Tom Everett Scott and James Jurdi) who transport a dying man to the hospital but find a million dollars sewn into his clothing. When he subsequently dies, they decide to keep it but this soon leads to a never-ending series of consequences and headaches for them (and the audience). Promising beginning soon leads nowhere as film soon becomes frenetic and tiresome. Made by filmmakers who obviously spent too much time copying Quentin Tarantino but there’s no reservoir or no dogs here.

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“Crooked House” (*1/2 out of four) was a blah adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1949 murder mystery about a former spy turned gumshoe (Max Irons) who is lured by his former lover (Stefanie Martini) to solve the murder of her grandfather before other family members (Glenn Close, Julian Sands, and others) and Scotland Yard (led by Terrence Stamp) begin to uncover clues which could lead to dark family secrets. Irons is good but it’s hard to care about anything involving the mystery when it’s all so dull. First-rate actors are unable to enliven or enrich tired material.

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“Kings” (** out of four) was a heavy-handed melodrama set during the L.A. riots in 1992 in which a foster mother (Halle Berry) and her hostile neighbor (Daniel Craig) must band together to try and stay alive as the city around them is engulfed in flames and embroiled in chaos. Give writer-director Denize Gamze Erguven points for tackling a fiery story in a difficult piece of history but results are preachy and superficial at best. While it’s always good to see Craig and Berry onscreen, Craig’s accent wavers and Berry has played this same role numerous times before.

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“Book Club” (**1/2 out of four) was an occasionally amusing comedy about four elderly women (Diane Keaton, Mary Steenburgen, Candace Bergen, Jane Fonda) and their various tribulations with the men in their lives (Don Johnson, Richard Dreyfuss, Wallace Shawn, and others) and also loneliness and getting older. The four female stars seem to be having fun and their enthusiasm and good-natured chemistry makes this entertaining to a point but watching women in their 60’s and 70’s crudely talking about sex is awkward and even uncomfortable at times. Fans of the stars should probably take a look, others may want to watch “Golden Girls” reruns instead. Fonda is oddly made up here to look like Sharon Osbourne.

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