Reviews

While surfing films to stream Ida Red caught my eye. I did a quick search on IMDB and read some reviews before watching.

I will say I am glad that I did. First, any film with Mark Boone Jr, Josh Hartnett and Melissa Leo is worth a watch IMO. The entire cast is very very good, as you might expect. Strong performances abound.

Story takes the viewer through the lives of a crime family headed by the Mother who is imprisoned. Her son and nephew, part of her crew and her daughters husband a local law enforcement officer ever vigilant of his married families bad doings. The officer is not compromised by his family ties and determined to get his men. At any cost.

There are a few interesting sub plots and the story is told and shot in such a way where the run time goes quickly. The hallmark of any very good film.

I don't like to add spoilers in any of my reviews so you will have to just take a chance on this one. I will bet you won't regret it.

An excellent little known film that does one heck of a job telling a realistic crime story not glorified by gratuitous violence or big Hollywood BS.

I gave this film a strong Seven of Ten and would like to see more form the Director, John Swab.

This one was a tough watch for me. It is the kind of film that slowly brings you into the very dark recesses of anguish people may experience through events that have nothing to do with their own actions.

Simply, but very effectively shot, two couples who have experienced tremendous loss through one tragic event, meet, to seek answers, redemption and forgiveness.

The story is based on one event that is unimaginable, yet all too familiar to anyone living in the US. This is not, however, the focus of the film. This is a film about the pain, confusion and grief experienced by both parents of two teenage boys who died violently and senselessly. It can be said that one set of parents are the antagonists, and the other protagonists. But this wonderful film fleshes out the humanity all four people are capable of and the lengths they are willing to go to put some kind of closure to their personal tragedies.

As I try to avoid spoilers, I will only say that this is a powerful human interest story and one that I'm certain is based on many truths experienced, sadly, by too many people over the past 25 years.

Ann Down continues to astonish me with her range and ability as she continues to give us stellar performance time and again. She has become one of my favorite actresses over the past five years and this film is another example of why I feel she is academy award destined. Martha Plimpton is wonderful as well as she turns her emotions around in a way that is true to life and totally realistic.

The dark and somber subject matter is delicate and I imagine it was hard to get through this dialog as it would affect anyone involved. Direction was spot on and made the viewer feel as though they were sitting in the same room as the players.

Very impressive and thought provoking film that will linger long in your heart and mind. It has for me.

Wonderful film...

This film is painfully predictable and socially irrelevant. It simply furthers the idea that people in general (regardless of race) are shallow and dumb. Filmmakers often try to capitalize on current social events and do so with success...this in NOT one of those times.

The plot is childish and perpetuates divisive stereotypes and only serves to create a dark picture of cultural differences.

Don't waste your time on this trash.

Simply put, swallowing glass would be less painful than sitting through this film (?). Utter waste of time. Too much BAD to list here. Do yourself a favor, go get a root canal. You will sit comfortably through that before subjecting yourself to the protracted torture of viewing this sewage. To put it mildly.

It's hard to believe Bruce Willis continues to star is films that are beyond bad these past several years. It's as though he is new to "Hollywood" and just getting his start. He can't be doing it for the money as this (and most films the past several years) film is low budget. In fact, he turned down $3,000,000 for a four day shoot for Expendables 3. So I assume it's not about the dollars.

Meanwhile, to keep it short, "survive the night" is a slow paced bore fest with little to no interesting plot development. Bruce and company meander through the film with terrible dialog and subpar acting. No character buildup and holes in storyline throughout. Typically, I would go into more detail as to why this film is so bad but it really is not warranted here. Simply skip it.

Save yourself 90 minutes and get a root canal. It's less painful.

Ok, so I will try to keep this short and to the point.

This film tries hard to take it self seriously but fails on so many levels. The story is told from the perspectives of NBS (not sure how this is possible seeing as she was murdered) and some fantasy about an alternative explanation regarding the true killer. (?)

The narrative is so weak and far reaching that you are asked to suspend belief and actually consider this as the actual "true story" of the horrible murders. Despite a few noteworthy names in this stinker (the reappearance of Nick Stahl, to name one) nothing could have helped the awful film.

Such rubbish only serves to diminishe the terrible truth about, what many consider, one of the most notorious murders in American history. Everyone on the planet knows who committed the crime. The attempt to offer up an alternative perspective is sad and desperate.

Don't waste your time.

To say Joaquin Phoenix's performance in this film is incredible is an gross understatement. His portrayal of Arthur Fleck a/k/a Joker is fearless, gut wrenching and astounding. I would say without question one of the greatest acting performances I've ever seen.

The film is a testament to what creativity and raw talent can offer as new and previously undone at a time where so much of what we see is regurgitated dreck.

Rather then give a synopsis of the film as most reviewers have I will just say that "Joker" is everything it is hyped up to be. The film starts out a bit slow but the payoff is brilliant and worth the price of admission.

Go see this film if you want to be entertained with a phenomenal story, tremendous direction and one of the greatest performances by a lead actor you will ever see! It's that good!

I could write much on the accolades this film deserves but will stick to the basics of why this film is great.

Acting across the board is spectacular. Penn and Gibson are in top form and have great chemistry. Coogan and Marsan are also in top form as usual. Ehle and Dormer do a terrific job in bringing that soft feminine touch much needed to balance out the relationships between the main characters.

The film has its emotional ups and downs while staying on point to tell the amazing story of how the most important English dictionary came to be. It is a testament to the difficulty and perseverance needed to accomplish such a Herculean task in defining the vast English language and the trials and tribulations endured to realize its completion.

The beauty of this film is in the storytelling of the relationship between the two main characters. The Scottich wordsmith and an American surgeon who suffers from mental illness.

In order to not divulge more about the narrative I will just end by stating this is a powerful film that will leave you feeling many emotions. A triumphant accomplishment! Time well spent.

I had not expected much from this film when I saw the film cover on my Firestick. I gave it a shot anyway and was pretty surprised. The films quality is shot like a big production and the narrative was actually quite original. The film follows a 17yr old high school student who is extremely bright and unusually industrious, offering a "murder for hire" service to his fellow students. It is apparent there is no shortage of customers at his school. Not to divulge too much, the films quality's lie in the relationships and interaction with the main character and a hapless detective who is hot on his trail throughout. Really good performances from all concerned. A good script and clever dialog kept me interested throughout. Way better then I expected!

Possibly the most boring found footage film of all time!

I found this film to be very intriguing. When I started it, I was expecting a documentary type film on pirates in Somalia made famous by the terrific film "Captain Phillips".

About 10 minutes in, I realized this was going to be a lot more then an action/Drama film on the exploits of Somalian Pirates. What you get in this way better then average movie is a man who yearns to be a published writer/journalist. He tries his hand at some very uninteresting subject matter and then sees the news reports in the Hijacking of the cargo ship "Maersk Alabama" by Somalie pirates and, after some research, that NO Western journalist has ever truly entered the world of Piracy in that region of Africa.

He is Canadian (Evan Peters who plays real life journalist Jay Bahadur) and gets his parents to finance an adventure to a life completely unknown to him in Somalia.

Without giving more of the film away, I can say that the true elements of how Piracy got its start in this poor and almost forgotten African nation and more importantly WHY it happens to this day. It gives the viewer a really different perspective on the story of these proud people who have a history of culture and used to settle disputes with poetry, not violence. I enjoyed the way the protagonist explores the realities and history of the Somalie people rather then exploit the violence often used by the very nature of piracy.

This is a must see for anyone who is interested in the culture and reasons behind why piracy is a way of life for peoples of this region.

A very well done film. Definitely recommend.

I was pleasantly surprised after seeing "Dismissed". During the first 10 or 15 minutes it seemed it would be a little hokey. The film as I stated in my title was a bit predictable and the formula has been used before to one degree or another. However, the pace kept you interested and I felt the acting from the protagonist and antagonist were very good.

Plot is simply about a brilliant but somewhat off student who is transferred to a new school and instantly makes a great impression on his English teacher. Not to divulge any spoilers, I won't give more in depth story line then that but will say there was some smart and relevant story telling here.

The sub plots of the film fit quite nicely into a neat package to Support the main story and there are some harrowing scenes that might surprise you. It was not over the top not is there gratuitous violence. The story was told with realism and was spooky at times.

For a low budget film with essentially unknown actors, I thought it was a film. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a light thriller told well.

88 minutes you won't be disappointed spending.

Like. Share. Follow was much better then I expected. The dim starts out a bit slow but picks up speed at about the 20 minute mark. Garrett is a YouTube star with his Friday night show which is about his life and antics assisted by a couple of friends.

He is very popular and has many viewers. He has a self imposed rule of not getting emotionally involved with any of his 2,000,000 viewers but one girl seems Insistent on meeting him and will do anything at any cost to do so.

Avoiding spoilers at this point, let's just say it's not an original theme and has been done before in the fashion of "Fatal attraction", the king of all stalker films. With that said, however, this film is better then most and keeps you interested throughout. It has some very creepy scenes and the acting is very good. The elements of the plot are simple enough but done without going over the top and without gratuitous violence.

There is a great twist at the end as well. Enough said.

I recommend this film to any fan of the thriller and stalker sub genre....7/10.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film on several levels. The acting, direction and story line were all done extremely well. It was original and there is an element of commitment of love through the forced negative acts of the desperate protagonist.

I also have to say I enjoyed the psychedelic score which worked well with the pace of the film. Last, I grew up in the neighborhood much of the film is shot in so I am somewhat biased. This, however, is not what makes the film so good.

Pattinson is brilliant as the Big brother trying to make a better life for himself and his learning disabled brother. A bank robbery they attempt goes wrong and the remainder of the film is an attempt to recover his brother from a hospital after getting caught and beat up in jail.

I won't give any more away but have to say the film is thought provoking, exciting and fast paced. I also felt it was quite realistically done in the way each character plays their parts.

The only thing I found annoying was the credits ran into 22+ minutes of the film. Otherwise, a tremendous effort and success for the Safdie Brothers.

I hate to throw "water on the fires of praise" but have to give an honest opinion of this film as I see it.

The three previous reviews rave about the artistic nuances and beauty of nature melding with psychological mystery in "without name". I do agree the acting and sound track were good and suites the theme of this film. However, it is a far cry from being a thriller/Horror film and although unique I'm not sure what genre this film fits in to.

I found the film boating and purposeless. There were some nice lighting shots and shadowy artistic scenes but that does not a good film make.

Without Windows is a journey of a man (and woman) working to survey land for a mysterious man. Mush of the plot is never explained or resolved. I know this is offered up as an attempt at an artistic naturalistic mystery, but, IMO, falls short in being anything other then 70+ minutes of trees, trees and more trees. All of the additional story line and narrative seems to convolute any meaning and purpose.

Again, there are some merits to this film in way of the use of lighting and score, but, the movie moves at a snails pace and builds to a rather anti climactic ending. I was left wondering what message did this film have to convey.

To each his own. I felt the viewing of this movie was as interesting as watching grass grow.

It seems Antonio Banderas is making a lot of movies of the same genre lately. This is not to say that's bad. I Think he does quite a good job as an "average man" tough guy. This film is no different, however, there are some exceptions.

I gave this film a generous 7/10. Mostly because I am liking Banderas more and more of late and the plot of this film, although flimsy at times, is pretty good and fast paced.

As in 90% of my reviews, I try to avoid spoilers at all costs as to not ruin it for future viewers. I will stick to that rule and simply talk about what I did and did not like about this film....first, this is a plot we have seen before but was done with some different twists and a solid unforeseeable outcome. Banderas' character is a man on a mission after the murder of his wife and daughter. He is a defense attorney with no fighting or "revenge" skills but learns them quickly as the police seem uninterested in finding the person/persons responsible. This is where He takes matters into his own hands.

The film has some excellent choreographed fight scenes and the pace of the film is without boredom. However, the way our protagonist goes about learning how to become a "tough guy" is quite far out and unbelievable.

Throughout the film, there are quotes regarding "revenge" from Marcus Aurelius' meditations, in six parts. Each act is then played out after the quote is read on screen.

In summation: a worthwhile film with some good action scenes and a solid but familiar story line. Much of the fight scenes from Bandwras' perspective is unrealistic but entertaining. If you are a fan of the action/ thriller and revenge sub genre, you won't be disappointed. If your looking for something new and original, this film won't make the cut.

It was not 90 minutes of boredom or a waste of time....

This is the story of a Man on a mission to find himself in the jungles of Boliva. He gets much more then he bargained for but learns the true meaning and value to his life through agonizing failures and conquests.

Yossi (Daniel Radcliffe) takes a year off to visit places unknown to him for discovery and to experience life outside what he is used to. To the most extreme...

He meets along his journey two others that are doing the same and become his companions. They hook up with a guide to take them to far away places in the jungle very few men have ever seen.

Along their journey one injures his feet and can no longer walk and slows the party. They have a choice to make...walk or take the river.

To avoid any spoilers, I won't divulge any more of the plot but will say the film is powerful and beautiful in many ways. Cinematography is amazing. The acting on all fronts is first rate as is the score. The film has 115 mins. Run time buy speeds by like 60.

The fact this is based on a true story makes it even more incredible. A true testament to the human spirit and will to survive as well as the bond people form in the most extreme circumstances.

Bravo to all involved in this spectacular film!

I was pretty much blown away by "Brawl in cell block 99". I was a big fan of S.Craig Zahler who Directed the film Bone Tomahawk. This film is better in many ways. I'm hooked on his genius.

To say the film is violent is an understatement but nothing any hardcore thriller/Horror fan hasn't seen before. This film delivers the violence, however, with a purpose and is almost just given the narrative. Zahler turns the protagonist into an antihero. With superb zeal.

I am a fan of Vince Vaughn and this film is a testament to his terrific range and ability as a great American actor. In fact, I think it's his finest performance to date. In the spirit of not divulging any spoilers, I will just give potential viewers my opinion of the film as a whole.

Supporting cast of Don Johnson, Udo Kier and Jennifer Carpenter are outstanding! Direction was phenomenal as it guides the viewer through the story line with such ease, in a hard to tell plot.

Nothing is gratuitous or overdone. It's simply a great story with simple plot, done in a purposeful way. For a film with 132 mins.runtime it goes very quickly. A testament to a great movie.

I have become a huge fans of S. Craig Zahler and can't wait to see his next film.

Fans of violent Thrillera told in a relevant way with great dialog, do not miss this film!!

Once again..,Bravo Vince Vaughn for a spectacular performance! It's hard to believe, after seeing this film, he spent most of his career in comedic roles.

Sleepwalker certainly makes an attempt to be a mind bending thriller, and does so with mixed results. The viewer might have to watch the film twice to get the gist of its meaning. I did!

A woman is found sleepwalking in the middle of the night and has no idea where she is. The police find her and return her to her dorm. She has a history of sleep walking and is concerned it is starting again. After another nights restlessness, she decides to go to the College sleep study program to be monitored.

After the first time she does this things start to become strange. Things around her start to change subtly. The Dr. In charge takes a personal interest in her case and attempts to help her as things progressively get stranger and stranger as the studies continue.

The rest of the film is an exercise in uncertainty, nightmares, and amnesia. The film, I thought, was somewhat thought provoking but misses the mark as a real mind bending thriller. It is more a film about a woman with a sleep disorder which turns into a mix of confusion, hallucinations And scattered reality.

I would say it worth a viewing but don't expect much in way of a strong thriller....

When I saw the ad for this film I immediately thought it was going to be another poorly made low budget piece of crap that has been regurgitated time and again.

I was completely wrong and pleasantly surprised how good this film was. Dee Wallace (as the Matriarch) does a great job as does the supporting cast. The lighting and score was exceptional and the story unique and was very relevant to the plot and narrative.

Once again a great Aussie horror film. I have to say the Australians have the Horror genre down to a science. I never expected this film to be so creepy and have such a strong subplot that you never see coming. Original kill scenes and diversity in each character makes this film all the more better. The antagonist is very creepy and covered in robe and swathing. He has a mission which is revealed (sort of) towards the middle of the film. It's fully explained towards the end to wrap up the baseline narrative.

As I typically never like to disclose spoilers in my reviews I won't divulge too much about the story, but will say, if you are a Horror fan and fan of the sub genre Slasher flick, you will Love this film. Additionally, this film will appeal to any horror fan who likes well done twists and unexpected plot surprises.

Bravo for a very entertaining and original take on the Christmas Horror scenario. This is one of, if not THE BEST, Holiday horror film I've seen in 20 years!

Watch and enjoy....

I was not sure what to expect when I first saw the trailer for this film. I will say I am very glad I watched it.

Avoiding spoilers, I will say right off....the the story was original in a theme and setting often used. Cinematography and score were beautiful. Acting was terrific and narrative told with heart and realism.

This is the story of a boy and his father who go hunting for "Big Game" together for the first time. During their search for game a terrible accident occurs. From this point on, the film is a study in human endurance and love. Also a strong element of a boy becoming a man.

I felt the story was told perfectly without overdoing it and keeping it as real as possible. You actually feel like you Are there with them and feel their pain. This pain, however, it suppressed by the human spirit. It's a simple story, yet, original and wonderfully shot IMO.

There are parallels between Father and son and the Sons Grandfather. The flashbacks are relevant and illustrate the dynamic between the three generations.

A very well done and aesthetically beautiful film.

I'm pretty surprised with the talent of actors like Elwes, DiMatteo and Alex Rocco of "God Father" fame would be in a film with such a stupid plot and terrible, Total "B" class production value. This is not to say any of these actors are top notch Hollywood "A" listers. They are, however, talented and have been in some very good films and TV shows.

That said, this is simply one of yet another non-relevant mediocre at best, attempt to delve into a Horror story that tries to be different. Let's face it, it's not the easiest task of creating a "new" type of horror film that has not been done in one way or another 100's X's over. But, every once in a while a really good new film comes out that does manage to be original despite using formats already used many times. (Sinister, The Conjuring, Paranormal activity, Saw, Hostel Deliver us from evil etc)....

It seems as though anyone with a few bucks and a decent camera can write, produce, direct and sell crap dressed up as scary and unique yet, us Horror and Thriller fans pay (with time and $) hoping we find something worth telling your friends about. They are few and far between. If you do tell anyone about this film in the form of a recommendation, make sure you say "steer way clear".

Don't Sleep is no different. Acting was way below par surprisingly. One caveat, in defense of Cary Elwes, he is only in a few scenes. Direction was all over the place and the flashback scenes made no sense. Frankly, it was a boring film that I had to struggle to get through. The makeup (for the Demons/Ghosts?) was akin to something you would expect from a 10 year old kid showing up at your door on Holloween. Yes, it really Is that bad.

I don't like writing spoilers in any of my reviews and won't do that now, although I should and save you all a lot of wasted time and $.

The name of this film should have been "Do sleep"! And there should have been a recommendation at the beginning of the film advising to do just that for the next 97 minutes rather then a quote from Nitsche, which was, BTW, the best part of the film.

Go and rent ANY of the films I mention above if you want to see an original, worthwhile film that will put a fright into you.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film on many levels.

It was gritty and realistic. The film follows an Albanian American landlord dealing with "real life" problems with dead beat tenants. The acting was way above par and the story and narrative fast paced and believable. Style was simple yet very realistic.

I am familiar with the areas this film was shot in and know many Albanians in this community so that brought a cool sense of realism to the film for me as well.

I think the writer and lead actor does a great job as does the cousin and daughter. I would like to see more from this guy.

A hard hitting thriller/Drama that goes by very fast and does not disappoint!

Time well spent!

First, I am a big fan of Giancarlo Esposito who has been in many films as well as gained much notoriety as the Meth Dealing King in "Breaking Bad". Although I'm not sure, I believe this is his directorial debut in a feature length motion picture.

Without any spoilers, I will sum up why I thought his was a very well done and interesting film.

The premise: A reality show host witnesses two contestants get killed on live TV in a previous show he hosted. Fed up with mindless fake Television (aren't we all?) he formulates a "real" and fully transparent Isea for a show that has people wanting to commit suicide live on TV. The idea is, the network will put up $100,000 and the TV audience can match or donate as much to the surviving family members to better their lives.

Clearly, I'm sure this concept would break many laws in each and every state in the U.S. But, as is done in Hollywoodland, they address the legal aspects and find loopholes to allow this to be broadcast.

What I thought was very entertaining and thought provoking was the simple concept that Reality Television seems to be getting more and more perverse and it's not impossible to believe something of this sort and magnitude will eventually air and be watched by millions. This is not to say actual suicides will ever be televised. My point is, it seems television today has to go bigger and bolder to outdo one another to gain ratings.

The acting by all was way above par. The story line and plot simple enough but highly engaging. The concept very morbid but again, there is a quality of realism in its concept.

This is a very different story then the typical slop put out within the premise And done with a reality I thought was accurate. One caveat....again, I don't believe a show like this would ever be aired and those who would watch should have their heads examined. That said, I give it an 8/10 for originality and something entirely different.

Kudos Giancarlo!

It's incredible to me that people keep putting up money to make films that have been made 100 times over the past 15 years since the Blair Witch Project. The originality and extremely low budget and high grossing revenue of that film has spawned so many pieces of crap that people keep pumping these films out like link sausages.

The plot and style of 21 days is no different then any other film of its kind....it seems, anyone with a camera and a slightly different take on hauntings and morbid curiosity to debunk ghost stories has a plot and with a few bucks, make a film. Unfortunately, we, the horror genre fan has to sit through an average of 80-90 minutes of the same Drek!

We keep on getting suckered into watching films that have no originality or narrative value and we find the same story told over and over again just dressed up differently.

Acting mediocre, lighting horrible, originality....none!

I think I'll use my hand held and get my buddy who is a sound expert and works as a freelancer and find an old barn and write a script in a day and try and make a million dollars.

Please, someone, make a good found footage or self shot horror film worth watching. I paid nothing to see this film and still feel I was ripped off!

Flat out crap!!