Thoroughbreds is one of the more unsettling movies I’ve seen in some time featuring two tremendous performances from what should be the next generation of talented actors in Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy.
Star Trek Into Darkness is a sometimes fun summer blockbuster featuring a great cast, decent story (even with some of the lazier plot points) and amazing visual effects. It’s a nice addition to the Star Trek franchise though my hopes any problems with the plot, or lack of originality, is corrected with the upcoming Star Trek Beyond.
What started off as an interesting story about the Milgram Experiment turned into a bit of a bore of film in the second half, though Peter Sarsgaard does give a fine performance and director Michael Almereyda certainly didn’t go the conventional route in the story and filmmaking style, so Experimenter does at least stand out in that regard.
Burying the Ex probably could’ve been one of the better surprises of 2015 but instead it’s bitten with a half-baked screenplay that doesn’t take advantage of the fun story. Even so, Joe Dante and company do pay homage to horror of old which will certainly satisfy fans of the genre and even beyond that, the core cast all turn in good performances and make something mundane and average to be somewhat entertaining, flaws and all.
Dying of the Light seems to be a cautionary tale as well as show the perhaps seedy side of Hollywood when a project gets taken away from the filmmaker. In fairness, and it is a distinct possibility, that there might be more to the story but the final cut we get here is a mess and worse, a boring and dull mess at that. Nicolas Cage actually wasn’t too bad and there are some interesting elements but I would’ve loved to have seen Shrader’s version.
This Star Trek “The Compendium” 4-disc set is certainly a cash-grab by Paramount but with a low SRP, those who don’t already own either set might be swayed to get this one as it contains a plethora of bonus features and for big fans, about 30-minutes of IMAX footage on Star Trek Into Darkness. However, if you already own either movie, skip this altogether especially since I’m sure there will be a trilogy set once the third film is released on home video.
While not perfect, Odd Thomas is still a well done fantasy-thriller filled with great performances by Anton Yelchin, Addison Timlin and Willem Dafoe and a wonderfully laid out story that, thanks to its limited box office, will probably never get completed outside of perhaps a TV series on ABC, NBC or TNT.