June 2, 2016 “Dark Signal” (** out of four) was a visually moody but empty, pretentious horror thriller set in Wales about the spirit of a murdered girl who returns from the dead with a cryptic message and a stranded girl in the countryside (Joanna Ignaczewska) must team up with the staff of a local radio station to solve her death before it is too late. Director Edward Evers-Swindell displays a flair for atmosphere and shows some promise but his own absurd story sinks it all. Film has some scares in its opening but becomes slower and more unpleasant as it goes along and eventually breaks down. Continue reading →
June 2, 2016 “Hidden In The Woods” (*1/2 out of four) was an ugly, unpleasant drama about two sisters raised in isolation by their backwoods abusive father (Michael Biehn). When he murders two investigating cops who arrive at his house, they escape but are mired in further problems with their drug-dealing and equally evil uncle (William Forsythe). Biehn is solid as always in unusual villain role and supporting performances are good but you’ll be numbed by all the sleaze. Not exactly a candidate for family-friendly filmmaking. Continue reading →
June 1, 2016 “Abandoned” (*1/2 out of four) was a boring melodrama based on actual events about four sailors (led by Dominic Purcell) who set sail in New Zealand but are capsized by a tidal wave and drifted for 119 days lost at sea. You’ll feel adrift and lost at sea by the end of this misfire. Extremely similar to 2013’s “All Is Lost” but to put it mildly, none of these blokes have Robert Redford’s charisma or star power. Director John Laing even dares to have the crew singing “Farewell and Adieu” at the end as a reminder of “Jaws” and the right way to make this movie. Abandon all thoughts of watching this and watch those two films instead. Continue reading →
June 1, 2016 “Life On The Line” (** out of four) was a trite melodrama about a crew of electrical grid workers (led by John Travolta) who brave the day-to-day dangers of their job with ease but are soon fighting for their lives in the midst of a deadly storm. Well-intentioned movie dedicated to the many electricians who have both risked and lost their lives is bland and heavy handed. A Southern accent is simply not to John Travolta’s best advantage. Continue reading →
May 31, 2016 “The Antwerp Dolls” (** out of four) was a dour crime melodrama about a ruthless and cold-blooded businessman (Bruce Payne) whose attempted double-dealings with the Belgian mafia are intercepted by his former protégées who are out for blood-thirsty revenge. Not the worst of its kind but could have used more of a sense of humor and not to mention characters you actually care about and root for. Yet another Scorcese/Guy Ritchie/Paul Greengrass wannabe that comes up empty. Continue reading →
May 31, 2016 “Broken Promise” (*1/2 out of four) was a ludicrous thriller about a high-school girlfriend and boyfriend who break into a mansion and the owner is accidentally killed. Twenty-two years later, the boyfriend (Louis Mandylor) tracks the girl (Ashley Scott) down upon being released from prison and is determined to resume their relationship or enact revenge. Often laughably dumb and illogical, and not helped by a terrible performance from Mandylor. Easy to see why this bypassed theaters and premiered on Lifetime instead. Continue reading →
May 31, 2016 “Hooligan Legacy” (*1/2 out of four) was a boring crime drama set in England which owes a lot to the stylings of Guy Ritchie and Martin Scorsese but unfortunately won’t develop much of a legacy of its own. Four criminals attempt to execute a daring heist of a football stadium but the plans go awry which leads to the leader being imprisoned and planning revenge. Sounds juicy but is unpleasant, talky, and feels overlong even at only 73 minutes. Continue reading →
May 30, 2016 “Alice Through The Looking Glass” (*** out of four) was a sumptuous sequel to the 2010 blockbuster about Alice (Mia Wasikowska) having to return to Wonderland and travel back in time to save the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) and do battle with the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter). A visual feast of magnificent effects and spectacular sets and costumes. Wasikowska’s strong lead performance and solid supporting work from Carter, Anne Hathaway, and Sacha BAron Cohen make this a surprising improvement over its wooden predecessor. Original director Tim Burton handed over the directing reins to James Bobin who actually does a sturdier job than Burton. Final film of legendary character actor Alan Rickman. Continue reading →
May 30, 2016 “All The Way” (** out of four) was a tiresome, superficial look at Lyndon Johnson (Bryan Cranston) who became the 36th President of The United States in the chaotic aftermath of JFK’s assassination and film focuses on his attempts to pass the Civil Rights Act with the support of Martin Luther King (Anthony Mackie) and the opposition of many including Governor George Wallace (Frank Langella). Worth watching for a little while for Cranston’s absolutely terrific performance as Johnson and Mackie’s dynamite work as King but historical events are sketchy and film never really makes you understand Johnson or his motivations. A good attempt by director Jay Roach and Cranston (who previously collaborated on last year’s “Trumbo”) that falls short. Continue reading →
May 30, 2016 “The Devil’s Woods” (*1/2 out of four) was a pointless horror drama about a group of friends trying to repair their strained relationships while camping in rural Ireland and are besieged and stalked by dark and mysterious forces and are killed off one-by-one. Yet another low-budget exercise in gore and mayhem but where are the scares or the fun? Good music score by Paul Scott is one of film’s few virtues. Watch “The Devil’s Rejects” again instead. Continue reading →
