February 8, 2016 “The Veil” (** out of four) was a creepy but corny horror thriller about the lone survivor (Lily Rabe) of a mass religious suicide who returns to the site of its tragedy with a documentary filmmaker (Jessica Alba) and her film crew but the spirit of the evil religious leader (Thomas Jane) still inhabits the site and naturally havoc ensues. Director Phil Joanou once again shows his flair for atmosphere but also once again shows little in the way of thrills or sparks and the story eventually gets lost in mumbo-jumbo. Jane is terrific however in an unusual villain role. Continue reading →
February 7, 2016 “The History Of The Eagles” (***1/2 out of four) was an exceptional, expansive documentary of The Eagles featuring interviews, archive footage, and plenty of concerts showing their formation in the early 70’s, their phenomenal success, their bitter breakup, and eventual reformation. This is simply a feast for fans of The Eagles and classic rock. Long at three hours but not overlong and very well-researched and put together. Continue reading →
February 7, 2016 “Mojave” (0 stars out of four) was a mind-numbingly awful melodrama about a depressed artist (Garrett Hedlund) who journeys to the Mojave desert where he meets a homicidal drifter (Oscar Isaacs) and things start to get ugly after he thinks he kills him. Or something like that. Almost completely incomprehensible at times and unbearable. If you must watch, see if you can make any sense out of Mark Wahlberg’s token supporting role as a spoiled actor. Amazingly, this was directed by William Monahan who in better days was the Oscar-winning scriptwriter for “The Departed” but based on this mess, his talent seems to have departed. Continue reading →
February 7, 2016 “Eaters” (** out of four) was an umpteenth Redbox rip-off of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Deliverance” about 5 young travelers who encounter a violent biker gang when one of their friends goes missing in a middle-of-nowhere redneck town and all of them become mauled by cannibalistic freaks. As a low-budget horror thriller, this isn’t bad and has good production values and vibrant photography but you’ve seen it all before and it needs a shot of adrenaline. Watch 2003’s “Wrong Turn” for a much scarier and exciting version of virtually the same story. Continue reading →
February 7, 2016 “Hail, Caesar” (** out of four) was a disappointing comedy set in ’50’s Hollywood starring Josh Brolin as Eddie Mannix who was a studio fixer and had his hands full keeping his many actors (George Clooney, Channing Tatum, Scarlett Johannson, among others) in line. The Coen Brothers’ homage to the Golden Era of Hollywood has some interesting behind-the-scenes wheelings and dealings but few laughs. Brolin’s terrific performance almost makes this worth watching for a few minutes but almost all of the rest of the cast is wasted. Continue reading →
February 7, 2016 “Misconduct” (*1/2 out of four) was a ludicrous botch of a thriller about an ambitious young attorney (Josh Duhamel) who pursues a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against a ruthless pharmaceutical tycoon (Anthony Hopkins) whose partner (Malin Ackerman) happens to be an old flame who is suddenly kidnapped. Passable beginning quickly deteriorates as film becomes illogical and confusing. The real misconduct is the waste of a great cast, including Al Pacino and Julia Stiles. Pacino should swear off trying a Southern accent again for perhaps the rest of his life. Continue reading →
February 7, 2016 “The Boy” (*1/2 out of four) was a lifeless horror thriller yet again about a killer doll, this time focusing on an American nanny (Lauren Cohan) who comes to the English countryside and finds that a couple’s “boy” is a doll with strict rules for caretaking! Upon violating these rules, she soon comes to realize that the doll may in fact be alive and may be out for revenge! Good performances fail to breathe any life into a shopworn story with no scares or thrills. After “Poltergeist”, “Annabel”, “Robert The Doll”, and too many others to mention- was this really necessary? Continue reading →
February 1, 2016February 1, 2016 “Jane Got A Gun” (*1/2 out of four) was a boring Western melodrama that plods down a familiar trail that many have seen done all-too-many times before. A young woman named Jane (Natalie Portman) is forced to turn back to her former partner (Joel Edgerton) for help when a bloodthirsty Western gang (led by Ewan McGreggor) are out to kill her husband (Noel Emmerich). Molasses-moving and talky. Some pretty photography and rich music score can’t save it. A real disappointment from director Gavin O’Connor who directed the far more potent “Pride And Glory” and “Warrior.” Continue reading →
February 1, 2016 “Dark” (* out of four) was a muddled, unpleasant bore that’s about as blunt as its title; in the summer of 2003, NYC went into a blackout and one troubled young woman (Whitney Able) is trapped in her apartment where she must confront her numerous personal problems while trying to maintain her sanity and stay alive. More of an experiment than an actual film and runs out of steam and interest very quickly. Those who remember this blackout probably have more interesting memories than this mess. Continue reading →
February 1, 2016 “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi” (***1/2 out of four) was a harrowing and tense action melodrama based on a true story set in Libya when an American ambassador was killed in an attack at a U.S. compound and 6 U.S. C.I.A. soldiers were plunged in the middle of turmoil and sudden war. Nail-bitingly tense at times, explosively filmed, and extremely well-acted in naturalistic fashion by a rock-solid cast of unknowns. Yet another searing depiction of terrorism and war and the risks that some give to protect our country on a daily basis. A real surprise from director Michael Bay and easily one of his best films. Continue reading →
