The Drownsman actually isn’t a bad movie but it’s also pretty ordinary for the genre and certainly borrows from Nightmare on Elm Street without the memorable villain instead we get something akin to the Swamp Thing. Aside from that, though, the acting isn’t half bad but the idea of water being scary doesn’t quite work and it seems to take itself too seriously to be considered satire either.
Mississippi Burning is a very well made movie with top notch performances by Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe to go along with a story that, in some instances, resonates with the news of the day. The Blu-ray released by Twilight Time has good audio/video transfers but is on the disappointing side features-wise.
American Buffalo is what you think a stage play adaptation would be with singular locations, though a more open world in the beginning, and all the Mamet-isms you expect from his dialogue. The acting though is good from both Dustin Hoffman and Denis Franz so even though it is a slow film, it might be worth checking out especially if you can’t see the real thing.
When it comes down to it Mortdecai is just a bad movie. None of the jokes worked and Johnny Depp’s latest outlandish performance is no longer charming and the respectable supporting cast is completely wasted. This is not even worth a rental. As for the Blu-ray, the bonus material is basic while the video/audio transfers are more than respectable.
Fifty Shades of Grey is one of the more blasé “controversial” movies, one which doesn’t appeal to anybody, alienating its fans as well as those who have not read the novels. It also doesn’t help that the filmmakers seem to take the material so seriously and have actors read such terrible dialogue. That said, Dakota Johnson is pretty good and the production design and soundtrack are all far better than this material deserves.
The Pyramid is an all-around bad movie. Yeah, there are a couple of scares but hardly enough to make up for the rest of the crap from the acting to the story. This was also an odd release originally limited and making a paltry amount in the process, it now curses its way onto Blu-ray, courtesy of Fox, with good audio/video transfers but really thin features.
Admittedly, I’m not the biggest fan of supernatural horror or demonic possession flicks with some obvious exceptions (The Exorcist for one) but for some of its flaws, mainly dating itself to the time period with the music and style, Stigmata is a decent enough flick and tolerable thanks to Patricia Arquette and Gabriel Byrne (who two months later would go on to play Satan in End of Days).
The Barber isn’t an altogether terrible movie but it doesn’t exactly break new ground in the genre and greatly benefits from the performance from veteran actor Scott Glenn. The Blu-ray released by Arc Entertainment offers good video/audio transfers and only some deleted scenes and a trailer.
The Gambler isn’t the worst film around but it’s uninspiring and lacks energy which is a shame considering the cast assembled, and that does include Mark Wahlberg, but otherwise the writing is subpar and the plot itself is just all around dull. For his part, John Goodman was a lot of fun to watch it’s just unfortunate it was more or less a cameo appearance.
April Love on some levels is a product of its time though with movies like Endless Love and any number of Nicholas Sparks’ adaptations, you take out the musical moments the story is more or less similar from the romantic and melodramatic scenes. That said, it’s not an altogether bad movie though not sure what kind of replay value it has, but Pat Boone and Shirley Jones share good chemistry.
From the Dark is an effective Irish horror-thriller that, in spite of two main characters who aren’t the most likeable couple, has some scary scenes. Plot-wise, it’s more or less the same as many other independent flicks but if you enjoy the genre, this might be worth at least a rental.
Much like its predecessor, The Marine 4 is a passable but ultimately forgettable action film. The bullets fly all over the place and are overused to the point of being annoying and downright repetitive and boring. For fans of this franchise, this will probably do just enough for you otherwise just outright skip this release.
Taken 3 is a weak sequel and really the epitome of a money grab with a template screenplay by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kasen and frenetic direction by Olivier Megaton of some truly generic action scenes. It is disappointing that the series has devolved to this level but I suppose if you like Neeson and can set aside some of the absurd plot points, Taken 3 might make for throwaway entertainment.
Firewalker is by no means a great action-adventure and being released in the mid-80s tried to tap into the same crowd as Indiana Jones but with a weaker script and less charismatic main character (no offense to Norris, but he doesn’t hold a candle to Ford), that said, it’s a harmless flick that the family can enjoy and might be worth a one-off viewing.
Richard III has a rich production design to go along with amazing performances headlined by Ian McKellen who is fantastic in the title role. Sure, the Laurence Olivier version is better but this is a well done and new take on the classic tale.