You can seriously watch the first few minutes of The Good Guy and know exactly what will happen. I thought maybe to avoid being too cliche the beginning was used to throw people off, but nope, what you see is what you get. Speaking of cliche, this movie has a long list of them from the type of characters to some of the events in it such as a book club. All the characters are set a certain way and very predictable. The acting itself wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t good either. It would have to take amazing acting to try and save this dry and cliche story.

It’s hard to say too much positive about the film, but the overall production feel was decent and they captured Manhattan pretty well. Besides that you just get average acting and a predictable plot, and not to spoil anything, but there is no twist or anything. My first reaction when the film ended was, “That was it?” and I wondered what the point of watching it was since I could have just read the description and saved myself 1 1/2 hours. Regardless, if you are a fan of cliche romantic comedies it might be ok to you, but set the bar low.

The Good Guy Trailer

My Rating: 3/10

The House of the Devil is a good throwback to the 80’s and really does look like you were watching a movie in the 80’s. The plot also has lots of potential to be a nice horror flick, but the execution wasn’t as good as it could have been. The main problem is far too much build up and not enough payoff for the build up. Not to say it’s terrible, but they should have cut out about 10-15 minutes of the build up and used that towards the end with what happens. The acting was fairly good in the sense that they contributed to the 80’s feel of the film whether it was with cheesy 1 liners or the things they did.

The ending of the film left a lot to be desired. Without ruining the ending it felt quick and a cop out from creating something original. In fact if the ending was stronger I would have forgiven the slow build up since it would have paid off. Overall The House of the Devil isn’t terrible, and people who like 80’s horror films may enjoy it for being a throwback to those films. Still it is not without its faults and people may feel cheated when the end comes after sitting through the 75 minutes of build up prior to it.

House of the Devil Trailer

My Rating: 6/10

If you’ve seen the movie Orphan, then you have seen the better movie of what The Daisy Chain tried to pull off. In fact if you read the plot outline above, then you basically know what to expect with the film and there are no real twists or surprises. I will digress a little and get into some of the few positives of the film. The location and scenery was very fitting for the film and allowed the film to progress without any of the events taking it too far out of hand. The acting was decent and believable enough, but the script and direction felt lacking.

The pacing of the film was very slow and constantly found myself bored hoping something more interesting would happen, but unfortunately that never really happened. The Daisy Chain is far more drama than thriller and there was very little tension throughout the film. Without spoiling it, What disappointed me most was the ending. The film might have been able to have been saved with a good ending, but the ending was terrible as it left so many things unresolved and made what you had watched pretty pointless. It’s hard to recommend the film, but if you do watch it, know what to expect.

The Daisy Chain Trailer

My Rating: 3/10

Accidents Happen is a semi-quirky film revolving around the Conway family in the early 80’s. It tackles some serious subject matter along with a lot of dysfunctionality amongst the family, but does have some comedic moments sprinkled in. The narration and almost fantasy style introduction to the film sets the tone and does a pretty good job at intriguing the viewer. The film does feel slow at times as it progresses, but then something happens to reel the viewer back in. Some of the strangeness throughout the film also leads you to believe anything could happen.

The acting was fairly good, however the actor playing Billy obviously had an accent he was trying to mask, but it’d slip out randomly. It wasn’t a huge issue, but did take a little away from the movie. Geena Davis did a great job as the mother and showed partially why the Conway’s are how they are. Overall Accidents Happen was a good film with a few minor flaws, but I’d recommend checking it out if given the chance.

Accidents Happen Trailer

My Rating: 6/10

Ligeia is very loosely based on the Edgar Allan Poe’s short story and in reality the film doesn’t have too much to do with the short story, but they try to sell it to you that way. Regardless, a good film is a good film whether it follows the story closely or not, however Ligeia is not really a good film. It’s advertised as a horror/thriller, but was more of a made for TV drama. The way the plot was presented made the film very predictable, so it lacked any tension or shocking moments. On a positive note the production value wasn’t too bad and it had decent effects for not being a big budget Hollywood movie.

The acting wasn’t horrible, but it was very TV-Drama like, so some may like it depending on your preferences. Sofya Skya looked the part well of Ligeia, but some of her acting was hit or miss. Parts of Ligeia dragged and even though the film was under an hour and a half it felt much longer. Ligeia might be suitable as a TV movie of the week, but not much more besides that.
Ligeia Trailer

My Rating: 4/10

10: Defendor (2009) - Starring Woody Harrelson.

A crooked cop, a mob boss and the young girl they abuse are the denizens of a city’s criminal underworld. It’s a world that ordinary Arthur Poppington doesn’t understand and doesn’t belong in, but is committed to fighting when he changes into a vigilante super-hero of his own making, Defendor. With no power other than courage Defendor takes to the streets to protect the city’s innocents. Woody Harrelson puts on a great performance as Defendor and that alone makes the film worth checking out.

9: The Horsemen – Starring Dennis Quaid

Aidan Breslin is a bitter detective emotionally distanced from his two young sons following the untimely death of his devoted wife. While investigating a series of murders of rare violence, he discovers a terrifying link between himself and the suspects in a chain of murders that seem to be based on the Biblical prophecies concerning the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death. An underrated thriller that may have a few short comings, but overall is a pretty decent film that may get overlooked.

8: High Life – Starring Timothy Olyphant

It’s 1983, and hopeless junkie Dick gets an unwelcome visit from the past – his seriously sleazy former cellmate, Bug, to be precise. Bug requires a crash course in the 80s: different music, different drugs, and machines in walls that dispense money. The latter development gives Dick an idea. High Life is a very quirky movie, and goes beyond quirky to be strange at times. It is however fairly entertaining and does a fairly good job of combining comedy with the crime aspect of the film.

7: Triangle – Starring Melissa George

When Jess sets sail on a yacht with a group of friends, she cannot shake the feeling that there is something wrong. Her suspicions are realized when the yacht hits a storm and the group is forced to board a passing ocean liner to get to safety, a ship Jess is convinced she’s been on before. The ship appears deserted, the clock on board has stopped, but they are not alone… Someone is intent on hunting them down, one by one. And Jess unknowingly holds the key to end the terror. Triangle is a good thriller that should keep you interested throughout to figure out what happened.

6: Malice In Wonderland – Starring Maggie Grace

An American law student in London. Knocked down by a black cab, she wakes with amnesia in a world that’s a million miles from home – Wonderland. We follow her adventures as she’s dragged through an underworld filled with twisted individuals and the lowest low-lifers, by the enigmatic cab driver, Whitey. She needs to find out who she is, where she’s from and use what wits she has left to get back home in one piece. Malice in Wonderland is a much more dark and modern retelling of Alice in Wonderland done in a creative way.

5: The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans – Starring Nicholas Cage and Eva Mendes

Terence McDonagh is a drug- and gambling-addled detective in post-Katrina New Orleans investigating the killing of five Senegalese immigrants. Nicholas Cage puts on a great performance as a corrupt cop who is a big drug addict, thief, and paranoid mess. It may be hard to sympathize with his character after witnessing everything he does, but as you watch Bad Lieutenant you can’t help but wonder if all his demons will catch up to him or not.

4: Bakjwi (Thirst) – Starring Kang-ho Song

Sang-hyun, a priest working for a hospital, selflessly volunteers for a secret vaccine development project intended to eradicate a deadly virus. However, the virus eventually takes over the priest. He nearly dies, but makes a miraculous recovery by an accidental transfusion of vampire blood. He realizes his sole reason for living: the pleasures of the flesh. Thirst is a Korean film that may need to be viewed with English subtitles which brings a new twist to the vampire movie genre and done fairly well.

3: Moon – Starring Sam Rockwell

Astronaut Sam Bell has a quintessentially personal encounter toward the end of his three-year stint on the Moon, where he, working alongside his computer, GERTY, sends back to Earth parcels of a resource that has helped diminish our planet’s power problems. Without spoilers, Moon brings an interesting concept about what could happen if we decide to have people live on the moon for whatever reason. It is slow at times, but Sam Rockwell puts on a great performance and carries the movie with the assist from Kevin Spacey’s voice.

2: The Slammin Salmon – Starring The Broken Lizard Gang

The brutal former heavyweight boxing champion Cleon “Slammin’” Salmon (Duncan), now owner of a Miami restaurant, institutes a competition to see which waiter can earn the most money in one night: the winner stands to gain $10,000, while the loser will endure a beating at the hands of the champ. Although not as good as Beerfest or Supertroopers, The Slammin Salmon should be checked out by anyone who enjoyed either of the 2 previously mentioned movies.

1: Whatever Works – Starring Larry David

Attempting to impress his ideologies on religion, relationships, and the randomness (and worthlessness) of existence, lifelong New York resident Boris Yellnikoff rants to anyone who will listen, including the audience. But when he begrudgingly allows naive Mississippi runaway Melodie St. Ann Celestine to live in his apartment, his reclusive rages give way to an unlikely friendship and Boris begins to mold the impressionable young girl’s worldly views to match his own. Larry David steals the show playing Boris and should please any fans of his.

Necromentia is a surprisingly good low budget horror film that you do not see too often. The story isn’t anything ground breaking, but the decision to tell the story in reverse order was effective. Instead of figuring out what happened, I was constantly trying to figure out what tied the characters together and why certain things happened. The film isn’t exactly scary, but does have some creepy and gory scenes mixed throughout which may please horror fans.

The overall atmosphere of the film was dark and the cinematography was fairly good. Without spoiling too much, the creature’s throughout the film definitely were creepy and weird and this is a compliment to the film. Some of the acting could have been better, but for the most part they got the job done and didn’t hold back the film like bad acting can do sometimes. Necromentia is not without its flaws, but fans of horror should check out out the film as it features a decent story, good atmosphere, good amount of gore and some creepy creatures.

Necromentia Trailer

My Rating: 7/10

Mr Nobody is one of those rare films that can suck the viewer into its world. As you watch Mr Nobody and the various events you might not fully understand at the time the meaning of everything you see, but you will remain intrigued and as the movie progresses it starts to make more sense. There are quite a few things left up to interpretation, but the film should keep you thinking about it once the ending credits begin. The cinematography is amazing and a lot of care and detail was put into the movie.

Jared Leto gave an amazing performance as Nemo Nobody and the surrounding cast fit right into place. The story is told beautifully, and without giving away any big spoilers there is a lot that happens and a lot that doesn’t happen. It is very rare for me to give a movie a 10/10 rating, but I feel Mr Nobody deserves it as I could not really find any flaws. Some may argue the ending isn’t as strong as it could be, but I found it to be very fitting. If given the chance you should see Mr Nobody and drawn into his world.

Mr Nobody Trailer

My Rating: 10/10

Crazy On The Outside stars Tim Allen along with a decent cast of supporting actors who have shined at some point in their career such as Sigourney Weaver, Ray Liotta, J.K. Simmons, and Kelsey Grammer. Liking most of those actors may help with enjoying the film since the whole film is hit and miss. It is a very predictable and cliched story sprinkled with some originality. In fact just when I would enjoy a funny original scene, the next would make me realize the movie wasn’t going anywhere special. None of the characters really stood out in the film, but Sigourney Weaver had some funny moments being a pathological white liar.

The story and the way it progressed through the movie was the worst part. I won’t get into spoilers, but there are plenty of situations you have seen 100 times before and in a much better way. In fact halfway through I didn’t really care what happened with the characters since I already knew how it’d end and for the most part you will get the ending you expect. With all that said, Crazy On The Outside may be enjoyable for some people, but just don’t expect a funny unique comedy.

Crazy On The Outside

My Rating: 5/10

Dark Country Movie Review

Two honeymooners rescue a mysterious car crash survivor in the Las Vegas desert. But their decision to save the man becomes increasingly regrettable when he turns on them, forcing the newlyweds to do the unthinkable. In a blur of paranormal chaos, the couple must take drastic measures to cover up their actions from the local police, ultimately leading each character to an inescapable fate.

Dark Country is a low budget film noir styled movie with an interesting premise, but that is where the compliments for the movie stop. The movie starts with the honeymooners waking up together and the development of the characters begins, but after about 5 minutes you start to realize the characters are not as interesting as they may seem. Then once it seems like the movie might pick up and they come across the “mystery man” the film still drags and I was able to predict the twist right then and there, but I won’t spoil it for you. The rest of the film is very confusing and filled with several plot holes. It was very difficult to make it through the end of the film and then once it ended I just felt confused about what I had just watched.

Dark Country Trailer

My Rating: 2/10