Back in the late ’90s and early 2000s, a rash of Tarantino clones began gracing the shelves of video rental stores, flooding the market in ensemble-driven crime thrillers. While some of these may have stood on their own as noteworthy entries in our cinematic history, most were quickly forgotten, relegated to bargain bins and showcased in displays on gas station counters.
Scott Kawczynski’s recent release Trust, Greed, Bullets & Bourbon harkens back to these films but manages to rise above…but just barely. Very quickly one notices that this film has something of a Reservoir Dogs feel, with the colorful group of characters all meeting in one location and arguing about what went wrong, who the betrayer is and what to do about the loot. While it’s in no way comparable to the Tarantino classic, the script is solid and the characters are interesting. Unfortunately, the mediocre performances hurt the decent writing.
Mario Caroni’s Nerd Forever plays out like every nerdy kid’s dream – or possible nightmare, depending on how you look at it – of being thrust into a video game. With copious game references, and some very fun moments, this is a short film every gamer should see.
I must say I was underwhelmed by the latest chapter in The Hunger Games film saga, Mockingjay Part 1, which catches back up with Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) after a major event occurs in the narrative's last installment, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
A fan of the books, I eagerly awaited the all three movie versions and was flush with joy and relief upon seeing the visual treatment of the film adaptations for books one and two. Whereas my mind’s eye could imagine only so much of the eerie juxtaposition between the subjugated districts and the ruthless Capitol, the films stepped in (and stepped up) to satisfy. Seeing the bleak conditions of Katniss’ coal-covered world of District 12 next to the Capitol’s over-the-top, opulent monuments filled with its apathy-ridden, ridiculously dressed residents was just what this reader needed.
Late Phases shows its cards early, establishing a sketch of a main character and the monster he’s pitted against. The setup shows promise with a no-nonsense, bloodthirsty, practical effects werewolf stalking a retirement community, but instead of using the unique setting for metaphor and/or mayhem, the film grinds in its transitions between tame terror and flaccid drama. The man-in-suit is amusing for all the wrong reasons, while the dime-store theater is stretched well beyond its depths. It all makes for an experience that taxes one’s patience instead of their nerves. There’s little that elicits a reaction other than boredom, save a few unintentionally laughable dialogue selections and perplexing story choices.
In theory, a story about a man who is trying not to poop for a week doesn’t sound like enough material for a feature length film. Fortunately, Angus Sampson’s The Mule proves that theory wrong by presenting a funny and incredibly gripping crime story. Sampson and co-writer Leigh Whannell (who also star in this film), have been firmly planted within the horror genre, however this release proves they can easily transition to any other type of film with ease.
Historically, horror comedies have always been something of a mixed bag. It’s a tough endeavor to juggle the scary bits with the humorous bits, and while some have completely nailed it, others have crashed and burned. Fortunately, Gerard Johnstone’s Housebound falls into the former category, delivering a spooky, inventive horror film that doesn’t sacrifice story for ham-fisted comedy.
Much of the occurrences in BUTTER ON THE LATCH, the debut feature from actress/performance artist Josephine Decker, are of the highly-ambiguous variety as the film refuses to follow any discernible path, narratively speaking. Think more along the lines of a free-form improvisation told in scattershot chronology, wafting between reality, daydreams and nightmares. As one can imagine, some of it works while some of it falls flat.
In the more-than-capable hands of Tommy Lee Jones, The Homesman elevates its straight-forward narrative on the hardships of pioneer life to become an expertly-executed Western. Thanks to a wide range of fantastic performances from the ensemble cast to the brilliant score of Beltrami to the beautiful visuals of Prieto.
Bad Turn Worse proudly wears its noir influences on its dusty sleeve, using a desolate Texas setting for a familiar story of characters getting wrapped up in a web of crime that’s impossible to untangle cleanly. What’s not so familiar is the trio of teens at the center of predicament who are too naïve to be hard boiled but cognizant enough to be desperate.
Some people are willing to do anything for fame. Sleep with a producer, humiliate themselves on a reality show, or even sell their body to a creepy satan cult. In directors Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer’s Starry Eyes, they explore that last one in great detail. This is slow burn horror at it’s best- slowly revealing itself to the audience before exploding into a torrent of carnage and mayhem. Featuring scenes of excessive creepiness and sparse bits of extreme violence, this is the perfect example of how horror movies used to be.
Catherine (Allison Miller) is having a rough go of it. She’s stuck in a soulless job at a big record label that favors fame over talent; she’s in a dead-end relationship with an actor who cares more for his own image than anything else; and she can’t seem to get her singer-songwriter career off the ground. To make matters worse (I guess?), she gets fired from said crappy job and discovers her said crappy boyfriend is cheating on her.
Just in case the 20 years between movies clouded your memory, Dumb and Dumber To includes some helpful split screens in the closing credits that highlight its recycled gags from the 1994 original. Most of the material hasn’t aged well and/or was handled much better the first time around. The frustrating thing is a lot of the new stuff works in an idiotically inspired way, thanks to the game duo of Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. Part of the joke is that our lovable 30-something dimwits from Dumb and Dumber haven’t matured, but it’s not quite as fun (and a little uncomfortable) to watch 50-somethings bumble around and unleash a more mean-spirited brand of stupidity on the unsuspecting.
Most die-hard fans of the Star Wars universe are already aware of the popular Clone Wars television series, however the CG animation and overall tone of the show made me think this was one for the kiddies and not something I’d be interested in. Thankfully, I can say I was incorrect in that assumption, as I am now ready and willing to consume all six seasons of this highly entertaining galactic nerd-fest that stays surprisingly true to the films, despite its cartoonish demeanor.
After giving the cover of Drive Hard a cursory glance, I thought, “Oh boy, this one will be a doozy.” A generic floating-head cover featuring Thomas Jane and John Cusack in a generic-looking action film. Then I read that the director was none other than Ozploitation godfather Brian Trenchard-Smith, the man behind such B-movie greats as Dead-end Drive-In, Turkey Shoot and Stunt Rock. While Drive Hard is certainly an entertaining B-movie, there’s nothing about this movie that makes it stand out other than how comically bad it is.
Unlike other Star Wars spoofs, such as Spaceballs and the Family Guy parodies, Disney takes on the famous franchise with its cartoon stars Phineas and Ferb in starring roles alongside animated versions of Luke, Leia and Han Solo, instead of just embodying them.
These days it seems like Jason Blum and his production company, Blumhouse Productions, are continuously churning out quality, low-budget horror, with hits like Insidious, Sinister, The Purge, and Paranormal Activity under its belt. With such a large slate of successes, it’s easy to become interested in anything that may have the Blumhouse moniker, so I was naturally hopeful for its newest release, Jessabelle. What’s more, this supernatural horror film stars Sarah Snook and Mark Webber, both of whom I like quite a bit, and it’s written by Reno 911! co-creator Robert Ben Garant. Sadly, despite the talent involved, Jessabelle doesn’t manage to be anything more than the next forgettable haunted house flick.
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