July 29, 2018 “The Devil And Father Amorth” (** out of four) was a pointless documentary starring and directed by William Friedkin about a real-life exorcism performed by Father Gabriele Amorth on an Italian woman who has supposedly been overtaken by the devil. Director Friedkin attempts to rekindle memories of his early masterwork “The Exorcist” and offers some intelligent commentary and some interesting views and questions on religion and medical prowess. At its heart, though, the film is a standard-issue exorcism story that’s unfortunately not as scary or compelling as it would have been in 1973. Thank the heavens though that film is only a little over an hour long. Continue reading →
July 28, 2018 “Extinction” (** out of four) was a well-made but obvious, derivative Netflix sci/fi thriller about a father (Michael Pena) who has frightening visions of the future which soon become a reality as Earth is under attack and it’s apocalypse now and him and his wife and daughter (Lizzy Kaplan and Lilly Aspell) have to fight for safety against aliens and (naturally) a military government coverup. Pena and Kaplan do what they can with a predictable script which reheats old plot points from “Skyline”, “Cloverfield”, “Independence Day”, and just about every other sci/fi movie over the last two decades. Striking cinematography by Pedro Luque is a definite plus. Continue reading →
July 28, 2018 “Narco Hitman” (* out of four) was a lethally dull action thriller about a contract killer (David S. Hogan) out for revenge against a ruthless drug cartel and a determined small-town sherriff (Angela DiMarco) attempts to sort out a mystery involving all of them before it’s too late. Promising opening scene involving a shootout in a bar soon goes nowhere as film becomes talky and boring and eventually slows to a halt. Hogan is terrible in the lead role and makes one yearn for the complex cinematic interpretations of Steven Seagal or Luke Goss by comparison. Continue reading →
July 28, 2018 “Silencer” (*1/2 out of four) was a boring action thriller that fires all blanks about a retired hitman (Johnny Messner) who is called back into action when his former employer (Danny Trejo and Robert Lasardo) threaten him and his family which leads to an all-out war along the Mexican border. Molasses-moving movie just about cries out for Sam Peckinpah in his prime. Trejo can play this role in his sleep by now (and often does) and Messner practically seems asleep in his lifeless performance. Continue reading →
July 28, 2018 “The Row” (*1/2 out of four) was a lame horror thriller about a young freshman (Lexi Atkins) trying to get into a sorority but discovers numerous not-so-terrifying secrets about the house for which she’s pledging after a series of gruesome murders occur on campus. Lots of booze and party scenes but little else to recommend this by-the-numbers timewaster. Former UFC champion and wrestler Randy Couture has a key role as Atkins’ dad but he should have fought and kicked the writer and director of this instead. Watch “Sorority Row” again instead. Continue reading →
July 28, 2018 “Mission Impossible: Fallout” (***1/2 out of four) was a dynamite sixth entry in this series which keeps getting bigger-and-better showing an ageless Tom Cruise and the rest of his IMF team (Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, and others) attempting to race against time when a former ally (Henry Cavill) turns traitor involving stolen plutonium which threatens worldwide detonation. Less-than-perfect script is hard to follow at times but is more than compensated by film’s hurtling pace and series of awe-inspiring stunts and action set pieces, particularly towards the end and film also deftly throws in more than a few familiar actors and characters from previous missions to keep things lively. One of the strongest, if not the best, in this series which began back in 1996. Continue reading →
July 26, 2018 “Upgrade” (** out of four) was an ugly futuristic action thriller in the mold of “BladeRunner” and “Total Recall” and too many others to mention about a man (Logan Marshall-Green) who despises technology but has nowhere left to turn when he is brutally attacked and paralyzed and his wife killed and a scientist friend infuses him with an experimental computer chip that can re-enact his brain function and enact his plans for bloodthirsty revenge. Intriguing story has some interesting plot points about technology and science set against a landscape of urban hell but both its script and direction could have used an upgrade. “Robocop” told almost this exact story much more mesmerically and powerfully over 30 years ago. Continue reading →
July 25, 2018 “Damascus Cover” (*** out of four) was an engrossing adaptation of Howard Kaplan’s 1977 underworld novel updated to the late 1980’s during the fall of the Berlin Wall about an international spy (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) who is sent by his mentor (John Hurt) on a dangerous undercover mission to Syria to find out pertinent information on a world leader and former Nazi (Jurgen Prochnow) and falls in love with a journalist (Olivia Thirlby) whose real identity uncovers real secrets. Well-crafted and well-told story is exceptionally well-cast in all roles, and is particularly recommended for fans of Le Carre and the spy genre. Rhys-Meyers’ best role in a while; Hurt’s final film. He died shortly after this was completed. Continue reading →
July 25, 2018 “Little Pink House” (** out of four) was a slight melodrama based on a true story about a small-town nurse (Catherine Keener) who became the reluctant leader of her working-class neighbors when a greedy corporation (led by Jeanne Tripplehorn) attempted to seize their land (and their homes) in a case that made it all the way to the Supreme Court and changed eminent domain abuse. Multi-faceted story of the machinations of big business and politics and media coverage remains watchable but has been covered in numerous other films such as “The MIlagro Beanfield War” and “A Civil Action” and never quite stirs or moves in the way that it should. Keener’s heartfelt performance makes this worth watching at least for a little while. Continue reading →
July 24, 2018 “Of Gods And Warriors” (** out of four) was a lumbering medieval action drama about a Viking princess (Victoria Broom) forced to flee her land when she is framed for the murder of her father (Andrew Whipp) who is the King but she is then tutored and guided by the God Odin (Terrence Stamp) to build an army and build revenge to take back her throne. Mediocre pastiche of “Braveheart” and “Clash Of The Titans” and numerous other mythology stories is given a boost by Stamp who is first-rate as usual and at least the climactic battle is exciting. Continue reading →
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