Author: BO

In 1996, “The Craft” managed to surprise Hollywood by becoming the number one movie at the box office during its opening weekend, exposing an audience for a female-led, teen-centric chiller. The picture went on to develop a loyal cult following, and for a good reason, as the feature understood adolescent concerns and high school issues while mixing in wish-fulfillment elements before the whole thing was turned over to horror. “The Craft” worked. “The Craft: Legacy” does not, with writer/director Zoe Lister-Jones (“Lola Versus”) put into a position of remaking the original effort while also sequelizing it, often missing the point of the 1996 endeavor as she tries to recapture its sense of mystery and friendship. “The Craft: Legacy” is limp and misguided, sure to leave fans disappointed after a 24-year-long wait for a follow-up, while newcomers to this universe are only receiving a surface understanding of Wiccan mischief. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Come Play” began life as “Larry,” a short film from writer/director Jacob Chase. It was a five-minute-long calling card for horror moviemaking, following a parking lot attendant’s experience with a special monster from an app-based storybook who’s looking for companionship with or without permission from its victim. The effort paid off for Chase, who’s now in command of “Come Play,” tasked with taking a small-scale idea and turning it into a 90-minute-long horror experience for a PG-13 audience. Such an endeavor requires a substantial upgrade in plot and character, and while Chase is eager to assemble a frightening viewing experience, his screenplay falls short in many areas, and his liberal lifting from other genre offerings doesn’t magically bring his work to life. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Spell” is a film that appears to know what it wants to do to frighten its audience, at least during its first hour. The screenplay by Kurt Wimmer (who recently wrote the “Point Break” and “Total Recall” remakes, also the director of “Ultraviolet”) delivers a compelling introduction to an unfolding nightmare, mixing elements of voodoo and cult violence to establish an economical chiller that largely takes place in a single room. Wimmer isn’t known for nuance, and “Spell” doesn’t deliver it, which is generally a good thing when dealing with B-movie agony, keeping things ugly and disturbing. The picture eventually abandons a creeping sense of doom as it works toward a conclusion that’s more Fred Williamson than freak-out, but for an extended period of time, the endeavor has some imagination for nasty business, giving viewers a claustrophobic sense of horror involving the deep south and fantasy powers. It’s a shame it doesn’t end there. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Holidate” is written by Tiffany Paulsen, who previously scripted the 2007 “Nancy Drew” update and the 2016 remake of “Adventures in Babysitting.” She was also an actress for a few years, appearing as Suzi in the best “Friday the 13th” sequel of 1989, “Jason Takes Manhattan.” Paulsen has an idea with “Holidate,” looking to make a bitter version of a Hallmark Channel production, complete with R-rated shenanigans and rough language, trying her best to create an edgy take on known entertainment. Well, Paulsen’s not exactly putting in an effort with the movie, starting with a perfectly reasonable gimmick before she wears it down with consistently lame jokes and characterizations. The idea here is to create a romantic comedy that touches on all the holidays, providing a full calendar of funny business. Only Paulsen doesn’t land anything with authority, often going crude because it’s too much work to be clever. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2017’s “Wonder” surprised many when it became a major hit in 2017, with its message of kindness concerning a young boy with a facial deformity connecting to a wide audience eager to enjoy a rare blast of positivity at the multiplex. “The True Adventures of Wolfboy” initially appears to follow the same idea, studying the pains of a 13-year-old kid with a special condition that prevents him from feeling accepted by others. However, after an opening act that seeks to understand the struggle for self-worth and the agony of isolation, “The True Adventures of Wolfboy” becomes overwhelmed with quirk masquerading as a study of liberation. There should be something more to the screenplay by Olivia Dufault, but the writing come up short with meaningful interactions, and director Martin Krejci tends to only deal with cartoonish performances and exaggerated behavior, losing heart along the way. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2006, 20th Century Fox worked extremely hard to make “Borat” something special in the marketplace. They screened the feature like crazy and kept star/creator Sacha Baron Cohen on a relentless publicity tour, laboring to sell an odd character from a cult television show to the masses. The blood, sweat, and tears actually worked, with “Borat” generating enormous word-of-mouth praise and substantial pre-release curiosity, ultimately making a fortune for the studio and turning Cohen into a star, despite his preference for being a chameleon-like performer. Borat impressions were plentiful, DVD sales were astronomical, and Cohen tried his best to burn off his newfound fame with a more pointed exercise in shock value: 2009’s “Bruno.” Now, 14 years later, Cohen returns to his most famous creation (sorry Ali G) for “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” with the most famous Kazakhstan reporter returning to duty to achieve a better understanding of 2020 and all the chaos it’s provided. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

This isn’t the first trip to the screen for Roald Dahl’s 1983 book, “The Witches.” In 1990, director Nicolas Roeg and co-producer Jim Henson had their way with the source material, combing nutty Euro filmmaking sensibilities with glorious Henson-y practical magic for their take on evildoing inside a luxury hotel, with mice making life difficult for dangerous witches. It was a very strange adaptation of a very strange book, and now 30 years later director Robert Zemeckis and co-writer Guillermo del Toro try their luck with a second adaptation, and one that’s strictly CGI-heavy in execution. While the thrill of puppetry and makeup effects is gone, the new version of “The Witches” doesn’t take it easy when it comes to the demented activities found in Dahl’s work, and while the endeavor is more adrenalized with chases and near-misses, it remains an entertaining sit for brave young audiences. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead won accolades for their tiny 2017 effort, “The Endless,” which the helmers pushed through the system with a DIY attitude, even taking the starring roles. The partners graduate to a more pressurized professional situation with “Synchronic,” a production that offers a little more money for the pair to work with, while luring stars Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan into the main roles. They also return to their brain-bleeding interests in psychedelic cinema, this time exploring the miracle of time travel as found in the formula of a dangerous synthetic drug. “Synchronic” tries to be a visual feast, and it’s most successful there, offering the audience a threatening ride through the bowels of New Orleans and the dangers of the past, with Benson and Moorhead more assured with camerawork than storytelling as the picture periodically loses its way. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Holiday movies emerge every year, all questing to be the one chosen for classic status, becoming a perennial choice for viewers in the mood to conjure seasonal feelings via the magic of filmmaking. “Friendsgiving” fails to become anything of note, but it does offer a Thanksgiving atmosphere filled with lots of characters, dysfunction, and slowly eroding patience. Writer/director Nicol Paone goes the improvisational route for her helming debut, and it’s not the best choice, permitting the feature to go slack while it hunts for jokes, abandoning a prime opportunity to sort through emotional baggage and the various anxieties that come with large social gatherings. I’m sure “Friendsgiving” was a hoot to make, putting a collection of actors together to see what sticks, but the fun factor of this production is alarmingly low. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Rebecca” is an adaptation of a 1938 novel by Daphne du Maurier, but real ownership of the material tends to belong to Alfred Hitchcock. In 1940, the director delivered a premiere interpretation of the book, finding style and suspense with a movie that went on to collect an Oscar for Best Picture and cement itself as one of the helmer’s finest efforts. Of course, others have had their way with du Maurier’s story, with “Rebecca” enjoying life on stage, television, in song, and the tale has even been expanded in literary sequels. There’s no shortage of visions when it comes this psychological study, which returns to screens courtesy of director Ben Wheatley, who’s not known for his subtle ways with refined horror. If there’s a reason to revisit “Rebecca,” it’s lost in the new version, which puts on a fine display of technical achievements, but offers little life behind the routine of suspicion and torment. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The Liam Neeson Thriller managed a short break over the last year, with the actor flexing some dramatic muscles again in offerings such as “Ordinary Love” and “Made in Italy.” And he was terrific in those pictures, showcasing renewed interest in playing human beings in various stages of reflection and distress. Neeson returns to paycheck duties for “Honest Thief,” putting him back behind the wheel of a mild actioner involving stolen money, rotten FBI agents, and true love, giving his core demographic a periodically exciting and highly implausible ride. Screenwriters Steve Allrich and Mark Williams (who also directs) try to reinforce the personalities involved in the maze of motivations, and the effort is appealing, adding some spirit to an otherwise generic but easily digestible endeavor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Brian Duffield (who recently served as writer/director of “Spontaneous”) and Matthew Robinson are credited as screenwriters on “Love and Monsters,” but the project has the feel of a graphic novel adaption. The features merges heartsickness felt by the lead character with his quest to cross a dangerous land populated with mutated creatures, using the power of love as the wind in his sails as he endures all types of challenges to his personal safety. The screenplay doesn’t actually have a literary origin, which might’ve come in handy, as “Love and Monsters” eventually loses its way when trying to give audiences a satisfying ending. Thankfully, the first half of the effort does a successful job managing tonal changes and visualizing threat, with director Michael Matthews getting the adventure up on its feet with personality and lively enemy attacks, offing just enough enthusiasm to sustain the viewing experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com