Movieman's Guide to the Movies
The Final Word on Physical Media
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.
Her is not only a moving and emotionally charged film about relationships and technology, but it also features an incredible performances from Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson (her voice anyway) with honorable mention to Amy Adams.
Sophia Grace & Rosie’s Royal Adventure isn’t a movie made for me or even remotely targeting the 21-35 age bracket and instead is aimed squarely at young girls who oft have dreams of becoming a princess, so on that front, this movie might be satisfying but anyone older or who don’t have children, this is not something you will revisit anytime soon.
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Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6 are both fun flicks though probably younger kids and those who grew up during that timeframe might get more enjoyment out of it.
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Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is hardly the perfect movie, it’s not even a good thriller, but it’s a satisfying enough flick so long as you aren’t a fan of the character or novels. The plot is a bit thin but the action scenes, as dumb since as they may be, were well filmed at least.
Fate is the Hunter is actually a pretty decent film focusing on faith and, obviously, fate, making it something more than merely an overwrought 1960s disaster drama. The performances from Glenn Ford, Nancy Kwan and Rod Taylor are all superb and the effects, save for some wonky editing, were impressive for their time.
Rollerball is an interesting vision of the future which, if the NFL is an example, seems to have come to fruition. The acting from James Caan is terrific and Norman Jewison’s direction is swift and although hardly the perfect movie, it’s still well worth checking out.
Weekend at Bernie’s is a fantastic comedy and a classic that has stood the test of time and has plenty of replay value even though technically with a plot like this, it shouldn’t have worked but due to the cast and jokes that actually hit their marks, it’s a film well worth checking out if you haven’t already.
After a rough start, Vampire Academy finds its footing into the second act with characters one could care about and dialogue that is sharp and actually quite funny if not only merely amusing. However, the star of this picture, and somebody I hope can find bigger and more wide ranging projects, is Zoey Deutch who is incredible and could be the saving grace.
Devil’s Due might not be the worst found footage movie I’ve encountered in the last few years but it sure as hell (no pun intended) is the dullest with the first 50-minutes of either boredom as we watch somebody else’s home movie or laugh out loud at some unintentional funny moments, but the final sequence isn’t bad and is actually fairly impressive, yet it can’t quite make up for the rest of the film.
Two Rode Together might not be the greatest western, and certainly not a memorable one for either director John Ford or James Stewart, yet it’s still an enjoyable movie worth at least one look if anything.
The Firm is a well made crime-drama based on a very popular TV movie that starred Gary Oldman. Paul Anderson and Calum MacNab both give great performances and the story, albeit doesn’t quite resonate as an American, is still engaging enough.