Conan the Barbarian isn’t a terrible movie by any stretch but it is one plagued with numerous lifeless action scenes, thinly written characters and at best average performances from the cast. The costume design is OK although nothing we haven’t seen on Xena and the like.
Not an altogether terrible movie, though mainly for Stephen Lang ‘Langing’ it up, Isolation is maybe worthy of a rental, but even then I can see a movie of this ilk ending up on Spike in a year or two.
Don’t Breathe had an interesting premise which to me got stretched too far to the point I got a bit annoyed. That said, the cast isn’t bad and not surprisingly Stephen Lang is creepy as all hell and all in all, it’s at least worthy of a rental.
Beyond Valkyrie: Dawn of the Fourth Reich is an interesting historical drama that features some great production and costume designs and an earnest performance from Sean Patrick Flanery.
Sony Pictures has announced the date and released artwork for the horror/thriller, Don’t Breath starring Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, Daniel Zovatto and Stephen Lang and directed by Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead remake). Click on the link below or image to the left to check out the features and artwork.
Gridlocked is probably one of the more surprising movies based on expectations since my history with direct-to-video flicks hasn’t been the greatest. Sure, the acting isn’t anything special but Dominic Purcell and Stephen Lang serve well as the protagonist and antagonist respectively.
Manhunter is probably one of the better psychological thrillers and a tad underrated especially for a film of the ‘80s and while there are plenty of elements from that era (look no further than the electronica score) but the performances are so dang compelling led by William Petersen and Tom Noonan.
Gutshot Straight maybe had the best intentions at being a solid crime-drama but instead falls far short with a half-baked plot, some so-so acting despite a respectable supporting cast led by Stephen Lang and Ted Levine, and shoddy editing that stymied any momentum early on.
The Monkey’s Paw is a silly supernatural horror film that might take itself a bit too seriously for its own good yet it’s a watchable flick primarily for Stephen Lang’s performance. The Blu-ray released by Shout Factory offers up good video and audio transfers while the bonus features are limited but decent enough highlighted by the commentary.
In the Blood has plenty of issues but with Gina Carano’s fighting skills and being at least an adequate enough actress on par with 80s/90s versions of Jean-Claude Van Dam and Steven Seagal, has the potential to be a staple in the thin mindless action flicks if she picks the right scripts.
Pawn is an acceptable mystery-thriller that has a respectable cast who unfortunately seemed to mostly phone it in except perhaps for Michael Chiklis who was having fun with his thick Aussie accent. Otherwise, as interesting as the story was and comparatively well done as the flash backs were, the movie falls apart at the end coming crashing down with an utterly unsatisfying finale.
Conan the Barbarian isn’t a terrible movie by any stretch but it is one plagued with numerous lifeless action scenes, thinly written characters and at best average performances from the cast. As far as the Blu-ray is concerned, the audio and video transfers are both solid and while we don’t get anything of substance from the featurettes, the commentaries at least provide some insights.