Movieman's Guide to the Movies
The Final Word on Physical Media
The Motel Life is a somber but well acted drama headlined by Emile Hirsch and Stephen Dorff who both work well together playing brothers. The writing is well done and it’s not your typical, run-of-the-mill film interjecting animation into the storytelling.
Alexander: The Ultimate Cut is supposed to be the final cut… the final FINAL cut, and even though I’m still not overly enamored with the film, I can appreciate the production and costume designs, some of the performances and the ambitiousness of the character and story.
Continue reading “Alexander: The Ultimate Cut Blu-ray Review”
Nobody is going to mistake Death Spa as the highest form even in the horror genre, but there’s something fun in the quirky low-budget fair between some respectable special effects and an ample amount of suspense amongst some of the cheesy story.
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.
RoboCop actually isn’t that bad of a movie and taken on its own, it’s at least enjoyable enough. However, unlike its 1987 counterpart, it’s unlikely to be remembered years from now and like Total Recall (a movie I actually liked), will be a mere footnote alongside so many other remakes and reboots. This one has a few things going for it from an eclectic cast to wonderful production design and cinematography.
Non-Stop might not re-write the manual on the suspense/thriller and the script seems culled from the 1990s, but it’s an enjoyable flick and another winner with Liam Neeson in the lead who has proven to be more than a capable action hero.
Son of God is a cheap money maker for the studio, re-cutting the popular “Bible” miniseries for a feature-length movie. What’s here is generally acceptable acting but more in line for television and some respectable production design although the visual effects aren’t anything great. It’s an inoffensive movie and isn’t terrible but also nothing I can recommend.
Considering Independence Day-Saster is a made-for-TV SyFy film, I have to admit, it’s not that bad with Ryan Merriman making for an amiable leading man though having Tom Everett Scott playing the President is a bit of a stretch, though it is in keeping with Independence Day with Bill Pullman playing the young and inexperienced Commander in Chief.
Endless Love actually isn’t a terrible film (not exactly the highest praise, I know) where the two leads at least have some good chemistry and Bruce Greenwood is a lot of fun even if his character becomes a caricature by the end. It’s the typical love story seen numerous time but it’s not all bad and at least watchable if not also safe and forgettable.
Sleepaway Camp might not be my favorite slasher, and generally I’m not a big fan of the genre anyway, but it’s got its moments even outside of the classic and shocking climax.
Continue reading “Sleepaway Camp: Collector’s Edition Blu-ray Review”
Final Exam is seemingly the prototype of 1980s slasher, attempting to cash in on the successes from Halloween and Friday the 13th, and in this instance, it doesn’t work… at all. I don’t have a problem with bloodless horror movies or ones with a low body count so long as the other scenes provide some sort of character development or building up of suspense, which doesn’t happen here.
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.
Dan Curtis’ Dracula features an incredible performance by Jack Palance in the title role as well as Nigel Davenport playing Dr. Van Helsing, especially his final showdown against Dracula.
“Crocodile” Dundee I and II might not be the top-of-the-line in comedy, especially coming out of the 1980s, but I found both of them, even the weaker sequel, to be fun time wasters headlined by the charming antics of Paul Hogan and his on-screen chemistry with Linda Kozlowski.
“Rogue”: The Complete First Season, a series airing exclusively on DirectTV, is a well made crime-drama with great performances by Thandie Newton and Marton Csokas and a compelling story that keeps you engaged throughout the 10-episode long season.
Continue reading “Review: “Rogue”: The Complete First Season DVD”