August 28, 2016 “American Conjuring” (* out of four) was an American dud about a family (Lynn Csontos and Darren Matheson) who move into an abandoned orphanage which turns out (yawn) to be haunted and the husband immediately starts losing his mind. Yet another rip-off of “The Amityville Horror” and “The Shining” is poorly directed and acted and wretchedly photographed. One of these days you hope that filmmakers will tire of making the same movie and will “conjure” up some new ideas. Continue reading →
August 25, 2016 “A Hologram For The King” (** out of four) was a sporadically amusing comedy about a failed American businessman (Tom Hanks) who looks to recoup his losses by travelling to Saudi Arabia and selling his ideas to a wealthy monarch and is a fish out of water. Hanks’ likeability carries this about as far as it can go but this one-joke idea is stretched well beyond its limit at nearly two hours. Hanks played a similar character in the much funnier “Charlie Wilson’s War” and a much sharper and more complex version of a similar story was told in Lasse Halstrom’s “Salmon Fishing In The Yemen.” Continue reading →
August 25, 2016 “American Conjuring” (* out of four) was an American dud about a family (Lynn Csontos and Darren Matheson) who move into an abandoned orphanage which turns out (yawn) to be haunted and the husband immediately starts losing his mind. Yet another rip-off of “The Amityville Horror” and “The Shining” is poorly directed and acted and wretchedly photographed. One of these days you hope that filmmakers will tire of making the same movie and will “conjure” up some new ideas. Continue reading →
August 24, 2016 “The Evil That Men Do” (* out of four) was a sleazy, boring melodrama about two hired assassins (Daniel Faraldo and Andrew Tarbet) working for the Mexican cartel who kidnap a precocious 10-year old girl to exchange to a rival cartel but naturally, complications ensue and nothing goes as planned. No relation to the Charles Bronson classic with the same title or the Iron Maiden song although you may pray for any and all to show up. Other Maiden songs “Wasted Years” and “The Prisoner” suggest how viewers may feel by the end of this mess. Continue reading →
August 24, 2016 “Black Road” (*1/2 out of four) was a dreary, derivative futuristic melodrama set in 2029 about a drifter (Sam Daly) who risks his life to save a woman (Leilani Sarelle) from her violent ex-husband and is aided by an artificial-intelligence implant who guides him (and annoys the audience) every step of the way. Just another pile of ideas borrowed from other (and better) movies. Daly looks a little like Sam Worthington but sorely lacks sparks or charisma. Film fanatics may remember Sarelle as Sharon Stone’s lover from “Basic Instinct” which had more thrills and charge in any one scene than this fizzle has in nearly two hours. Continue reading →
August 24, 2016 “Genius” (** out of four) was a disappointing biographical drama set in the 1920’s and 30’s in which writer Tom Wolfe (Jude Law) was befriended and taken under publication by famous editor Max Perkins (Colin Firth) which led to a tremendous amount of success but also gradual bitterness and deterioration before Wolfe’s death. Interesting story of one man’s maddening talent and determination has rich period detail and two great actors but fails to connect and take off. Law is good but Tom Wolfe’s character is so over-the-top and strange it’s hard to like him. Firth is terrific as always and keeps this afloat with his effortless charisma. Continue reading →
August 24, 2016 “The JL Ranch” (** out of four) was a meandering, pointless family drama set in Texas about the rivalry between a veteran rancher (James Caan) and a former sheriff (Jon Voight) which intensifies as family and business secrets begin to be revealed. What a shame to have the joining of two legendary actors and have them ambling through such a mediocre and predictable story. Both actors are easy to watch as always but this warmed-over Larry McMurtry tripe is easy to forget. Continue reading →
August 24, 2016 “Mike And Dave Need Wedding Dates” (*1/2 out of four) was a shrill, annoying comedy that needed a better writer and director instead. Two hard-partying losers (Zac Efron and Adam Devine) need to find dates for their sister’s Hawaiian wedding but instead find two girls (Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza) who are more uncontrollable and wild than they are. Fast-paced comedy unfortunately lacks brains and laughs and becomes irritatingly noisy and stupid. Strictly for those who thought “The Hangover II and III” were robbed at Oscar time. Continue reading →
August 24, 2016 “Hell Or High Water” (**1/2 out of four) was a lukewarm crime melodrama about two brothers (Chris Pine and Ben Forster) who begin robbing banks across the Texas border with a bigoted and wearying sheriff (Jeff Bridges) on their trail. Interesting story about brotherhood and desperation feels like a homage to Sam Peckinpah but unfortunately never shifts into high-gear. Film has magnificent cinematography, a stirring music score, and a great role for Bridges but also a rather logy and uneven script. Only the final half-hour has any sustained tension and suspense. Continue reading →
August 24, 2016 “Imperium” (*** out of four) was an imperfect but commanding drama about an idealistic young F.B.I. agent (Daniel Radcliffe) who is assigned to go undercover to infiltrate a white supremacy movement and he must try to conceal his true identity as an agent, find out the next steps of the white supremacists, and try and stay alive. Radcliffe is sensational in a change-of-pace role for him and makes this story tense and compelling even as it strains credibility at times. Sam Trammell is also very strong as a Mr. Rogers-like family man with a double life as a hating supremacist. Continue reading →
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