The Final Terror actually isn’t a terrible movie. It’s low budget and the acting isn’t always the best, though it is fun seeing Daryl Hannah and Joe Pantoliano before they were big, and some of the shots done by Andrew Davis (The Fugitive) were quite impressive.
Joy Ride 3: Road Kill shockingly (or not) is an all around bad movie and not in the fun kind of way either. The plot is more or less a rehash of the first film just with more characters who are almost all unlikeable, making it really hard to care for their well being, and Rusty Nail as a villain is just another mundane serial killer rather than a truly scary voice over the radio.
The Machine is actually a well made indie science-fiction flick with good performances, some respectable visual and make-up effects. I kind of hope the filmmakers behind the film could at least be a part of any “Ghost in the Shell” adaptation because they did a damn good job with the material here which is more or less around the same concept.
300: Rise of an Empire has some things to be admired from the visuals, which director Noam Murro copied from Zack Snyder and Eva Green who is the only one that gave anything resembling a memorable performance and her alone is the only reason one should bother with this sequel.
The Mechanic was the perfect role for Charles Bronson who commonly was known for his roles in the Death Wish movies. His performance here was great and worked well opposite Jan-Michael Vincent.
The LEGO Movie is easily one heck of a fun flick with a sharp script that appeals to both kids and adults, masterful voice casting (especially Will Arnett as Batman) and the animation is absolutely wonderful.
Lake Placid is a fun horror-comedy, with more emphasis on humor, that might not be the best written flick but it’s a breezy enough 82-minutes of sarcastic one-liners and characters, albeit mostly on-dimensional, that you actually enjoy watching, especially a fouled-mouthed Betty White in a small yet pivotal role.
Parts Per Billion had a lot going for it including an impressive cast who, Frank Langella and Gena Rowlands especially, turn in fine performances it’s just that the story never quite gelled and some of the character’s actions were beyond dumb. But beyond that, it was a slow and honestly boring movie to plod through and there are plenty others with a similar plotline that are a lot better (see: Contagion and Perfect Sense).
“True Detective” is one hell of a series propelled with sharp writing, enough of mystery plot to keep one’s involvement and, most of all, incredible performances particularly from Matthew McConaughey who is yet again in top form and an amazing follow-up to his Oscar winning performance in Dallas Buyer’s Club and for this, he’ll be in the race for an Emmy.
The Birdcage is a wonderfully hilarious comedy headlined by Robin Williams and Nathan Lane and holds up as well today as it did some 10+ years ago when I last saw it.
Kissing Jessica Stein is a fun, quirky and charming romantic comedy starring two unknowns who both not only can write but aren’t bad actresses either sharing some good on-screen chemistry.
Small Time is an easygoing but still well made drama-comedy with great performances all around, but in particular Christopher Meloni, in his post-“Law & Order: SVU” career and Dean Norris of “Breaking Bad” fame having a good time.
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.
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.