February 7, 2018 “My Friend Dahmer” (** out of four) was a perfunctory biography of Jeffrey Dahmer (Ross Lynch) showing him in high school as a shy young man who struggled to belong and was beset by bullies at school and family problems at home and turned to drugs, alcohol, and later insane violence. Curiously remote and unrevealing story presents Dahmer as an outcast in the mold of “Carrie” but doesn’t tell you much about him you probably don’t already know. Performances are fairly one-note as well, much like the film itself. For a more striking and gripping film about same subject, watch 2002’s “Dahmer” with Jeremy Renner instead. Continue reading →
February 6, 2018 “The Cloverfield Paradox” (** out of four) was an in-name only third entry in the series about a group of scientists (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Oyelowo, Daniel Bruhl and others) who test a device to solve an energy crisis while orbiting a planet on the brink of war but they soon find themselves face-to-face with a dark alternate reality that threatens to end their voyage and destroy the world as we know it. Lumpy mix of sci/fi and horror is well-made but never gathers significant momentum. Not much relation to the original “Cloverfield” but owes more than a bit to “Alien” and also “Event Horizon.” Mbatha-Raw is strong in the lead role and makes this worth watching for at least a few minutes. Continue reading →
February 5, 2018 “Eruption: L.A.” (**1/2 out of four) was a reasonably entertaining action thriller about a struggling screenwriter (Matthew Atkinson) who finds himself in the center of his own movie when volcanoes begin erupting all over L.A. and he has to team up with a novelist (Harry Van Gorkum) and a spoiled actress (Lexi Johnson) to stop them and save the city. Yes, it’s another disaster movie and is filled with the usual cliches and silly characters but it’s fast paced, never stops moving, and is jammed with visual effects. Better-than-most disaster movies over the last few years although this can’t measure up to 1997’s “Volcano” which it sometimes resembles. Continue reading →
February 4, 2018 “Scorched Earth” (*1/2 out of four) was a slipshod action thriller set in yet another post-apocalyptic Earth that look like leftover sets from “Mad Max” and “28 Days Later” starring Gina Carano in her umpteenth role as a bounty hunter tracking down criminals who are attempting to destroy civilization. Little to recommend it, even for fans of Carano or MMA. John Hannah does what he can in a minor supporting role as Carano’s friend but he deserves far better than this dreck. Continue reading →
February 4, 2018 “Living Among Us” (** out of four) was a fairly anemic vampire horror thriller set in the future in which vampires have made themselves public and a friendly sect (William Sadler, John Heard) attempt to ingraciate themselves with the public by inviting documentary filmmakers (Andrew Keegan, Thomas Ian Nicholas) into their lair but these filmmakers soon find that these vampires may not quite be as friendly as they seemed. Initially appears to be a different attempt at making an intelligent vampire movie (in the mold of “Interview With The Vampire”) with some humorous social commentary but soon lapses into routine basics and gore. Heard and Sadler gives this somewhat of a boost. Continue reading →
February 4, 2018 “Hostiles” (**1/2 out of four) was an intermittently powerful and affecting drama set in 1892 when a tough U.S. Cavalry officer (Christian Bale) is tasked with escorting a dying Cheyenne chief (Wes Studi) and a widow (Rosamund Pike) through dangerous territory back home where they face peril and death at almost every turn. Beautiful photography and some moments of emotional power about killing and being killed are muted by overlength and film’s meandering pace. Strong final scenes, however, make you realize that this was overall a journey worth taking. Max Richter’s haunting Muzak score is a definite plus as well. Continue reading →
February 4, 2018 “Death Race 4: Beyond Anarchy” (*1/2 out of four) was a flashy but incoherent entry in this wearying series; this time around, a Black Ops specialist (Zack McGowan) enters a maximum prison to take down Frankenstein but finds himself at odds of two warring factions (Danny Glover and Danny Trejo) and various corruption forces in prison. Lots of action, style, and noise for those who want it but little sense or story continuity and seriously in need of a tuneup at nearly two hours. Seasoned action veteran director Don Michael Paul does what he can but this series which began back in 1975 is running on fumes by now. Continue reading →
February 3, 2018 “Hellraiser: Judgment” (*** out of four) was an unexpectedly stylish 10th (!) entry in the horror series about two brother cops (Damon Carney and Randy Wayne) who are forced to team up with a homicide detective (Alexandra Harris) to solve a series of gruesome murders which leads all the way back to the demonic killings of Pinhead (Paul T. Taylor). No one will mistake this for the 1987 original but by the series’ fairly low standards by now- this is solidly made and entertaining, with dazzling cinematography by Samuel Calvin and sharp writing and direction from Gary Tunnicliffe. Fans of the series should definitely check this out and horror fans will note Heather Langenkamp in a small but key role. Continue reading →
January 28, 2018 “Den Of Thieves” (** out of four) was an overdone, overlong Los Angeles underworld melodrama about a troubled cop (Gerard Butler) and his efforts to stop the state’s most successful bank robbery crew and their leader in particular (Pablo Schreiber) who he develops a vendetta against. For a movie about thievery, this borrows an awful lot from “Heat” but writer-director Christian Gudecast is no Michael Mann and Butler and Schreiber aren’t exactly at the level of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Film holds your attention with violence, style, and its gritty action scenes but script is weak and character motivations are murky. Continue reading →
January 28, 2018 “The Phantom Thread” (*1/2 out of four) was a stultifying melodrama set in 1950’s London in which a renowned dressmaker (Daniel Day Lewis) falls in love with a young woman (Vicky Krieps) which causes him to change his highly structured and closeted life. Don’t look for more plot than that or much else either. Molasses-moving and self-indulgent, like much of director Paul Thomas Anderson’s output over the last 15 years. His 1997 masterwork “Boogie Nights” had more charge in its opening scene than this has in its entirety. Day-Lewis is OK but nothing more in what may be his final film role Continue reading →
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