March 5, 2016 “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” (** out of four) was a disappointing adaptation of Kim Barker’s best-selling memoir about a reporter (Tina Fey) recounting her war coverage in Pakistan and Afghanistan and her wild times with a fellow journalist (Martin Freeman). Fey is winning as always but the movie isn’t funny enough, revelatory enough, or interesting enough to hold your attention for nearly two hours. Film shows plenty of whiskey but doesn’t show you much else you haven’t seen in other wartime dramas. Fey needs to start working on “Mean Girls 3” soon instead of mediocre projects like these. Continue reading →
March 5, 2016 “London Has Fallen” (*** out of four) was a fun follow-up to 2013’s “Olympus Has Fallen” with the President Of The United States (Aaron Eckhart) and his dedicated Secret Service agent (Gerard Butler) in London attending the funeral of the Prime Minister with several world leaders when they are besieged by an international terrorist intent on murdering the President on national television. Packed with enough action, stunts, and spectacular special effects to give action fans and fans of the original their money’s worth. Can “NY Has Fallen” be next? Continue reading →
March 5, 2016 “The Midnight Man” (**1/2 out of four) was a diverting spy thriller about an assassin (Will Kemp) virtually unable to genetically feel pain who awakens on a violent underworld assignment against a crime boss (William Forsythe) and can feel pain and is mortal for the first time. Slickly told underworld thriller doesn’t offer much that’s new but is given a boost by Kemp’s likeable and charismatic performance. Continue reading →
March 5, 2016 “Hollow Creek” (**1/2 out of four) was a gripping, if not enthralling, mystery thriller about a writer (Steve Daron) who retreats to a cabin in the Appalachian Mountains to write his latest novel and his accompanied there by his lover (Guisela Moro) but he soon becomes a murder suspect when she mysteriously vanishes. Never really takes off but keeps its grip due to Daron’s intense performance and Moro’s solid and tight direction. Burt Reynolds picks up a few bucks in a small but key supporting role and it’s a reminder that he turned 80 this year. Continue reading →
March 3, 2016 “Downshift” (* out of four) was a baffling, boring cross-country action melodrama that makes either “Cannonball Run” or “The Fast And The Furious” movies look like masterpieces by comparison. Two brothers (Phillip Andry and Jeremy C. Russell) attempt to compete against one another in a cross country race that turns into a less-than-incredible journey. Inept action movies lacks any thrills or high-octane power and is confusingly told. Even at only 77 minutes, this still feels paltry and runs out of steam. Continue reading →
March 3, 2016 “Containment” (**1/2 out of four) was a mildly engrossing thriller set in England about four neighbors in an apartment building who realize they have been quarantined due to a virus that has eradicated civilization. Or so it seems. Vibrantly photographed and well acted but too derivative of both “28 Days Later” and “The Twilight Zone” to really take off. Horror filmmakers should quarantine themselves in containment and start to come up with some new ideas sometime. Continue reading →
February 29, 2016 “The Channel” (*1/2 out of four) was a mumbo-jumbo religious thriller which is enough of a yawner to make anyone want to change the channel. A teenager (Kristen StephensonPino) suffers a near-death experience only then to discover that she’s become the channel for the entry of an evil spirit into her life and this world. Umpteenth movie about demons, exorcisms, and (yawn) evil possession makes you wish all these movies would go back to Hell where they belong! Continue reading →
February 29, 2016 “Lake Eerie” (*1/2 out of four) was a forgettable horror thriller about a widow (Meredith Majors) who movies into an old house on Lake Eerie after the death of her husband but she soon realizes she is not alone and strange occurrences begin to unfold. Horror fans will take note of the return of character actor Lance Henriksen but those same fans would fare better watching him again in “Alien” or re-runs of “Millenium” instead. Yet another horror thriller done without conviction or scares. Continue reading →
February 27, 2016 “Cassidy Way” (** out of four) was a tepid horror thriller about a vengeful father (Christopher Rich) distraught over the death of his son who enacts his revenge over a documentary film crew who he thinks may have been responsible inadvertently for his son’s death. Rich’s strong performance is the highlight of this violent revenge thriller which ventures off into “Saw” territory as he kidnaps and tortures his victims. If that’s your cup of tea, it’s all yours, but it’s a difficult brew for others. Continue reading →
February 27, 2016 “Gods Of Egypt” (*** out of four) was a solid ancient Egyptian fantasy about the mortal hero Bek (Brenton Thwaites) and how he teams with the god Horus in an alliance against the evil Set (Gerard Butley) the god of darkness who has usurped Egypt’s throne and sent Egypt into chaos and conflict. Not a great movie but jammed with visual effects and good action scenes that will give fans their money’s worth. Derived from “Gladiator” and “Clash Of The Titans” and numerous other medieval epics but is still entertaining. An unusual change-of-pace for director Alex Proyas who directed “The Crow” in 1994 but still has visual style to spare. Continue reading →
