“Red vs. Blue: Restoration” (*1/2 out of four) was a disposable entry in the series about the ongoing adversaries the Reds and Blues of Blood Gulch (Kaitlin Becker, Mark Bellman, Edward Bosco, and others) who have to set aside their differences to save the galaxy one more time when an old nemesis re-appears and threatens all of the universe. Lots of cheesy visual effects and gee-whiz dialogue that seem like it was inspired by outtakes from “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers”. For kids and series fans only.

Continue reading →

“A Most Atrocious Thing” (* out of four) an atrocity in itself about a group of friends (Ben Oliphint, Dylan DeVol, Christian Hurley) who go off on a weekend getaway but after eating tainted deer meat they turn against one another and they find that only the strong will survive as they mercilessly go after each other one-by-one. To call this amateur night in terms of acting and filmmaking would be kind to put it midly and that extends to the 3 actors who served as co-writers and directors of this mess. Bad movies like these are enough to make anyone want to become a vegetarian.

Continue reading →

“The Fall Guy” (**1/2 out of four) was a lively but thin action comedy about a down-on-his-luck stuntman (Ryan Gosling) who has to find the missing star (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) of a blockbuster action film which is being made by his ex-girlfriend (Emily Blunt) but they both encounter comic treachery every step of the way. Film has wall-to-wall action and in-jokes and fun soundtrack selections (with a particular amusing nod to Kiss’ “I Was Made For Loving You”) but suffers from overkill and a case of the cutes after a while. Never boring but a good case of how less is sometimes more especially as film goes on past 2 hours.

Continue reading →

“The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Information” (*** out of four) was a sweeping historical melodrama set during WWII in 1940 about Winston Churchill (Rory Kinnear) and Ian Fleming (Freddie Fox) who formed a clandestine combat organization (Henry Cavill, Cary Elwes, and others) for Britain’s military that changed the course of the war and its fighting technique against the Nazis. The newly serious Guy Ritchie shows a keen eye here with some spectacular battle scenes and finds an overall good balance between action and historical drama. Starts to go on a little long but still overall entertaining for Ritchie and WWII fans alike.

Continue reading →

“Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead” (*1/2 out of four) was a needless remake of the 1991 “classic” which let’s be honest wasn’t that great to begin with; once again, a young woman (Simone Joy Jones) is put in charge of raising her family when the babysitter (June Squibb) is found dead and she is thrust into the world of office corporate politics. Much like the original, the film’s main bright spot is the lead performance from Joy Jones but the rest is pretty desperate and dumb. Original “Babysitter” club members Danielle Harris and Keith Coogan have cameos but they should taken heed to the word “don’t” in film’s title.

Continue reading →

“Among The Willows” (** out of four) was a hollow action melodrama about a former gunslinger (David Novak) who must turn to an old friend (Jeffrey Smith) for help when attempting to track down those responsible for murdering his family. Pretty routine trip down familiar Western territory and trails; you know all the familiar sights- saloons, dirt roads, lots of horses, etc. Some references to Willie Nelson are scattered throughout also. This is far from the worst of its imitations but is for die-hard Western fans only.

Continue reading →

“Silence Of The Prey” (**1/2 out of four) was an offbeat if not completely successful horror melodrama about a young immigrant (Karyna Kudzina who also co-wrote and co-directed) who is desperate to care for her young daughter and is hired to care for an eccentric landowner (Chris LaPanta) but soon learns just how sick and devious he really is and she has to use her survival skills to stay alive. Initially plodding but gradually builds in tension and drama, with 2 strong performances from the 2 leads, but its over-the-top melodrama and ugliness in its final third eventually does it in. Still, an interesting and better-than-average effort with good filmmaking on a low budget.

Continue reading →

“Teddiscare” (* out of four) was an abominable horror thriller about a young man (Tim Hatch) who spirals into gradual insanity after the death of his father which brings his worst childhood nightmares to life namely one of his favorite dolls which starts going around slaughtering his friends and surviving family. Originally titled “Winnie The Pho” until the “Winnie The Pooh” horror filmmakers issued a cease-and-desist letter but it would be a waste of time no matter what it would be called. What’s next in this disturbing trend? Bugs Bunny as a child kidnapper? Goofy as a serial rapist?

Continue reading →

“The Strangers: Chapter 1” (*** out of four) was a stylishly done continuation of the horror series about a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Ryan Bown) whose car breaks down in an eerie small town and are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin and panic ensues when three strangers descend on the cabin and attempt to kill them without any reason or motive. More-or-less a remake, rather than a follow-up, of the last entries but having said that it’s well-made and has its quote of jumps and scares. A definite change-of-pace for action director Renny Harlin and one of his better efforts in years.

Continue reading →

“Faceless After Dark” (* out of four) was a practically worthless horror thriller about an actress (Jenna Kannell) who stars in a low-rent horror-flick and is then held hostage by an unhinged horror fan (Danny Kang) determined to recreate the film’s fatal plot. Pointless and pretentious attempt at recreating some of Wes Craven’s self-referential horror ideas from his mid-90’s works is an ugly assault on the senses and mashes unpleasantness and violence in your face for an hour-and-a-half. This won raves at Fright Fest in London UK but not this FB critic.

Continue reading →