Not sure how this version compares to the others, even the 1939 one which I saw several years ago, but Hammer Films’ 1959 The Hound of the Baskervilles is still an entertaining Sherlock Holmes mystery featuring a solid performance from Peter Cushing as the great detective.
10 Cloverfield Lane is a strong sci-fi thriller that, even though it’s been many years since I last saw it, equals the original and had the added bonus of not being in the found footage style and features better characters. I’m not sure how well this will hold up in the long run however but at the moment I found it to be thoroughly entertaining.
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.
The Other Side of the Door is just the latest terrible horror film to hit the market. The scares are basically non-existent but worse yet, it’s such a dumb story in conjunctions with characters making ridiculous decisions culminating with an ending that made little sense.
The Funhouse Massacre isn’t a half bad indie horror flick with some impressive make-up effects and even the performances aren’t terrible, though Robert Englund’s role is very much a cameo appearing in the film for maybe 10 minutes.
Wim Wenders’ character-driven drama wants to be emotional and weighty but fails in both regards. While the performances from McAdams and Croze weren’t bad, Franco seemed to be miscast though he still does enough to make for an amiable character. The screenplay could’ve used an extra draft however all in all, I still found Every Thing Will Be Fine to be satisfyingly above average.
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.
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is an even-keeled telling of the events of that night with minimal political undertones sticking with the actual attacks than placing blame. The performances are all well done highlighted by James Badge Dale and, surprisingly, John Krasinski.
Zootopia is on the heavy-handed side of its message however it’s a good one that would be beneficial to kids (and their parents for that matter). The animation is fantastic and the humor mostly works as does the voice talent involved.
“Roots” was a phenomenon for television and still relates so well today. Featuring top-notch performances from the likes of LeVar Burton and Louis Gossett Jr. amongst many others, this is well worth watching even for younger viewers though I suspect some will navigate toward the recent remake.
The Crush isn’t a good movie by any stretch but can be a guilty pleasure. It’s probably one Alicia Silverstone’s better performances, behind Clueless, and a lot of fun seeing/hearing Cary Elwes struggle with his American accent. The film is at best passable entertainment but not much more than that.
Get a Job is the quintessential movie that gathered dust on some shelf and finally saw the light of day courtesy of an On Demand or DTV release; it’s also telling that the film couldn’t get sold in spite of co-starring Anna Kendrick hot off of the success of Pitch Perfect. The final result is a laugh-less comedy with thinly written characters.
Gods of Egypt has its moments but as a whole it’s not well made in spite of a talented enough filmmaker in Alex Proyas and a respectable cast, in particular Gerard Butler hamming it up to great effect; not to mention lovely actresses Elodie Yung and Courtney Eaton as love interests to the two leads. This is probably worth a rental, not much more.
Hail, Caesar for me was a major misstep for the Coen Brothers even with what certainly passion behind their love letter to 1950s Hollywood. Outside of George Clooney and Tilda Swinton, the other cast members were more or less cameo appearances.
London Has Fallen is an entertaining actioner, something that probably would’ve better served released back in the ‘80s, though it’s not exactly a necessary sequel since Olympus Has Fallen, while a nice time, didn’t need a follow-up. Having said that, this entry is at least worth a rental, just don’t expect any sort of depth.