June 20, 2017 “Counter Punch” (*** out of four) was an interesting Netflix documentary focusing on the waning popularity of boxing and how three fighters (Christopher Colbert, Cam F. Awesome, and Peter Quillin) at various stages of their careers make various sacrifices to become champions and restore the sport to its glory days of Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard. Far from being groundbreaking or original but a passionate look at how hard some people have to work and train to achieve their dreams, and all boxers are very likeable and ruminative of their struggling. Features interviews with Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Claressa Shields, Paulie Malignaggi, Steve Kim, and others. Continue reading →
June 20, 2017 “Resident Evil: Vendetta” (*** out of four) was a visually dazzling Japanese-animated entry in the series set between the events of parts 6 and 7 about the soldier Chris Redfield (voiced by Kevin Dorman) enlisting government agent Leon Kennedy (voiced by Matthew Mercer) and Professor Rebecca Chambers (voiced by Erin Cahill) from stopping a deadly virus from spreading in New York. Story and script are nothing original but spectacular and eye-popping animation take center stage and makes this a must-see, especially for series fans and fans of Japanese animation. Scenes set in NYC in the final third are a wow! Continue reading →
June 18, 2017 “It Comes At Night” (** out of four) was a tame horror trifle about a man (Joel Edgerton) who lives with his family in the desolate woods apart from civilization after a virus threatens to eradicate mankind but his will to survive and order of things are put to the test by another family who show up and ask for refuge. You keep thinking something substantial will happen but nothing ever does. Yet another pale imitation of both “28 Days Later” and “Night Of The Living Dead” and yet another recent movie that doesn’t end so much as stop. Edgerton is solid as usual. Proficient at atmosphere but deficient in both thrills and scares Continue reading →
June 18, 2017 “All Eyez On Me” (**1/2 out of four) was a flashy but one-dimensional and superficial biography of the legendarily controversial Tupac Shakur (Demetrius Shipp, Jr.) showing his difficult upbringing with his mother (Danai Gurira) to his worldwide and seminal success as a rapper and actor to his eventual death at 25. Cinematic equivalent of a wikipedia entry is fast-moving and watchable but never as compelling or multi-layered as it should have been and doesn’t tell you much about him you don’t already know. Best thing about the film is Shipp who looks and sounds astonishingly like Shakur and Gurira is first-rate as his mom also. Kudos also for re-casting Jamel Woodward as Notorious B.I.G. who also played him in “Notorious.” Better than both Jada Pinkett and 50 Cent have said but lacking the emotional power and fire of other musical biographies “Straight Outta Compton” and “The Buddy Holly Story.” Continue reading →
June 18, 2017 “The Last Starship” (*1/2 out of four) was a cheap-looking sci/fi thriller that clumsily attempts to mix genres of post-apocalyptic action and alien and zombie movies; in yet another futuristic wasteland, the last of natural-born humans are controlled by a race of genetically enhanced humans which leads to an uprising for who will take control. Hopefully, this is “the last” of this post-apocalyptic junk but surely there will be more to follow. It’s movies like these that make you wish “Blade Runner” and “Alien” never existed in the first place. Continue reading →
June 18, 2017 “Once Upon A Time In Venice” (*1/2 out of four) was an irritatingly stupid comedy about a Los Angeles private eye (Bruce Willis) out to settle a score with the bumbling street gang who stole his dog! They should have stolen the script to this dog instead. Once upon a time, Willis actually made entertaining movies but this one will definitely die hard and disappear. Director Mark Cullen was one of the writers of Willis’ equally awful “Cop Out”. John Goodman gets some of film’s few laughs as Willis’ best friend and partner in crime. Continue reading →
June 16, 2017 “Dragonheart: Battle For The Heartfire” (** out of four) was a bland sequel to the medieval adventure series about the magical dragon Drago (voiced by Patrick Stewart) who tries to intercede and end the rivalry between a brother (Tom Rhys Harries) and sister (Jessamine Bliss-Bell) who are both fighting for their grandfather’s throne. Hard to believe that this series that began all the way back in 1996 could generate so many sequels and prequels and even harder to believe how anybody could still care by now; not bad but not memorable either. You’d best re-watch the original again instead because it’s virtually the same story anyway. Continue reading →
June 15, 2017 “Strip Club Massacre” (* out of four) was a trashy film massacre about a young girl (Erin Brown) who is seriously down-on-her-luck and begins a new job at a strip club where no one is what they seem which results in havoc involving plenty of shootouts and sex. Dreadful melodrama is strictly for the 42nd Street grindhouse crowd or those that thought “Showgirls” was robbed at Oscar time. Seemingly edited with a chainsaw and doesn’t so much end as come to an abrupt halt, although no one will be complaining. Brown’s strong performance is film’s only saving grace. Continue reading →
June 14, 2017 “11:55” (** out of four) was a sincere but unexceptional story about a U.S. marine (Victor Almanzar) who returns to his hometown and finds himself struggling with P.T.S.D. and falling back into the violent street life he tried to escape which leads to confrontations with former rivals. Almanzar’s strong performance carries this as far as it can go but story is limited in its emotional power and we’ve been down these streets far too many times in other (better) movies. Climactic showdown is more of a slowdown. Give this points for attempting to incorporate elements of military P.T.S.D. into an urban melodrama but it’s overall superficial and forgettable. Continue reading →
June 13, 2017 “Escape From Pleasure Planet” (* out of four) was a laughably dumb porn melodrama masquerading as a sci/fi movie that you can’t wait to escape from. On a distant planet, a princess (Blair Williams) has her erotic vacation interrupted by a renegade alien force led by her arch enemy (Erika Jordan) and more problems ensue when they all crashland on Earth and discover sex for the first time. Lots of graphic sex in search of a point and plot. Dreadful acting and filmmaking makes “Plan 9 From Outer Space” look like Noel Coward by comparison. Continue reading →
