I’ve never heard of the Patterson’s book series this movie was based upon but even without the knowledge, its clear this was Maximum Ride done on the cheap with bad production values and even so, a story that wasn’t all that interesting.
The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series is a fantastic, if not bulky, set that for anyone who hadn’t picked up the individual sets when they were released by Image Entertainment, might be worth the cost in having in one case.
The Boston Strangler is a well done, if not methodical, crime-suspense-drama featuring a plethora of fine performances from the likes of Henry Fonda and George Kennedy, but the standout is Tony Curtis playing against type as the murderous Albert DeSalvo.
it’s not hard to see why The Disappointments Room had trouble getting released until Rogue Pictures eventually dumped it to theaters with a loud thud grabbing a mere $2.4 million. Unfortunately this wasn’t some ignored gem and instead a mess of a supernatural horror film.
When the Bough Breaks is a laughably bad and overly clichéd thriller with a story that has been done numerous times, especially on the Lifetime Movie Channel and if not for Morris Chestnut who tried so hard to rise above the awful screenplay, this would be an absolute chore to sit through, and even so, it was still rough sledding.
Blair Witch wasn’t a complete misfire of a horror film and as found footage movies go, it’s at least tolerable and features an amiable young cast, however thanks to an overabundant usage of sound design and clichéd jump scares, this doesn’t live up to the potential. Good news is, it is better than Book of Shadows so… it has that going for it.
Florence Foster Jenkins on the whole isn’t exactly a memorable film in of itself but with yet another great performance by Meryl Streep, with honorable mentions to Hugh Grant and Simon Helberg, makes it at least a worthwhile watch if only to see the acting tour-de-force.
Creepshow 2 certainly isn’t as good as its predecessor (which had a fantastic line-up of actors) but this sequel is still a lot of fun with one memorable line (“Thanks for the ride, lady!”). While I wasn’t a fan of ‘Old Chief Wood’nhead’, the other two stories weren’t bad at all.
The Driller Killer is certainly an odd little horror-thriller that isn’t technically good per se but fascinating nevertheless with a darkly fun performance from star and director Abel Ferrara (credited as Jimmy Laine).
Downton Abbey is one of more compelling television shows on and between the excellent performances and amazing production and costume designs, it’s easy to see why it has captured audience’s attention on both sides of the pond.
The Devil’s Dolls is a standard but effective enough horror flick with some OK performances and nice atmosphere. It doesn’t break new ground in the genre, both in terms of story and direction, but fans of the genre might get something out of it.
Dark Water is a creepy as all hell J-horror flick and probably my second favorite in the genre behind Ringu, though this one has some scary scenes no less than the final one. Director Hideo Nakata, along with the creepy factor, provides a thoughtful, character-centric, exercise.
The Unspoken could’ve been a fine, if not ho-hum, supernatural horror flick but all of that is undone by a heavy-handed score and far too many jump scares that were far more annoying than actually scary.
Elena of Avalor: Ready to Rule is a fun little show that younger viewers, or perhaps older ones who like these Disney cartoons, will enjoy and admittedly a few of the jokes made me chuckle. It is unfortunate that the channel continues to put out these volume-like sets instead of complete seasons.
The Hollars is a well made family drama-comedy with several great performances but none better than Margo Martindale who is a true delight and should get an Oscar nomination out of this role. John Krasinski is a fine actor and is in his element with this material and as a director, isn’t flashy and lets the acting do the talking.