Category: Film Review

“Damaged” is a serial killer story, using the familiar approach of an obsessed cop on the case of a madman to inspire a few thrills to go with the usual in law enforcement investigation formula. Screenwriters Paul Aniello, Gianni Capaldi, and Koji Steven Sakai have an ending in mind with the material, but the journey to the final 15 minutes of the picture is quite tedious at times. Director Tery McDonough is a veteran of television (working on productions such as “Killing Eve,” “Better Call Saul,” and “Suits”), and he brings that sensibility to “Damaged,” which often plays like an extended episode of a T.V. program. There’s flatness here that’s dispiriting to watch, and early promise for a more emotionally complex chiller is left unrealized. There’s talent with the cast, but one gets the feeling professional interest in anything here was limited at best, creating an unquestionably somber but lifeless viewing experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Dev Patel was once a cheery young actor who made his mark in pictures such as “Slumdog Millionaire” and “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.” Patel has worked to change his cinematic presence as he matures, aiming for harder hits and challenging parts, including his participation in 2021’s “The Green Knight.” Making his feature-length directorial debut, Patel aims to shake up the senses with “Monkey Man,” which presents a gut-rot tale of revenge in India, with the helmer endeavoring to use as much local culture and troubles to infuse the movie with a distinct personality. It’s an actioner, but Patel and co-writers Paul Angunawela and John Collee aren’t making a wall-to-wall bruiser. They take their time with the work, giving viewers a clear path to vengeance and a feel for Hell as the lead character experiences a transformation of his own while seeking to destroy those who’ve ruined his life. “Monkey Man” is made of chaos, and that fury tends to be exhausting as the effort enters its second hour, but Patel definitely has a vision for the film, with this concentration on darkness sporadically thrilling to watch. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The film is titled “The First Omen,” but it’s really the sixth feature in a series that began in 1976. Director Richard Donner managed to sustain post-“Exorcist” fervor for antichrist activity into a major hit, and producers and studios have been chasing that high ever since, including a crummy 2006 remake and even a short-lived 2016 television show. There’s been a lot of “Omen” over the years, but screenwriters Tim Smith, Keith Thomas, and Arkasha Stevenson (who also directs) hope to rejuvenate the brand name with a prequel, going back to the early 1970s for an origin story involving the creation of ultimate evil. “The First Omen” doesn’t bring anything new to the saga, covering old news while trying create a backstory capable of inspiring fresh sequels, forcing Stevenson to get intensely visual with the endeavor, often sacrificing pace in the process. There’s some voltage in select scenes of physical corruption, but the picture doesn’t pack much of a punch, and it doesn’t come near the strange eeriness Donner (joined by composer Jerry Goldsmith) managed to create nearly 50 years ago. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Damian Hurley doesn’t have many industry credits, but he does have access to an established actress, which certainly helps to launch a directorial career. Hurley’s mother, Elizabeth (best known for her work in the “Austin Powers” series), is one of the stars of “Strictly Confidential,” which has designs on becoming an erotic thriller with turns of plot to keep viewers interested and some sexual activity to heat up the screen. The screenplay (also credited to Damian Hurley) is mostly focused on the development of a mystery involving troubled, duplicitous characters, and it also serves as study of seduction in many forms. Hurley doesn’t have the experience to bring out the De Palma-esque intention of the writing, offering a lifeless, bloodless examination of a few emotional breakdowns. The helmer doesn’t push the picture’s sauciness and he’s mostly fatigued when it comes to blowing minds, but “Strictly Confidential” does have the novelty of a son exploiting the sex appeal of his mom for the benefit of an otherwise uninteresting whodunit. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In his last feature, “Smoking Causes Coughing,” writer/director Quentin Dupieux brought the ways of superhero cinema down to a manageable, indie film size, remaining with his career goal to provide short, humorous pictures that permit him complete creative control. Dupieux goes even smaller with “Yannick,” which takes place entirely inside a theater, following the disruption of a mediocre play by its most disappointed audience member. Expectations are in place for a comedy about the critical and creative process, but the helmer doesn’t pursue a more satiric study of art appreciation. Instead, Dupieux aims for a dry, argumentative understanding of frustration and personality, with some detours into creative expression. “Yannick” doesn’t have many hilarious moments, but it still scores with select scenes, and acting is superb, bringing life to Dupieux’s customary simplicity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The People's Joker” opens with a few paragraphs of legalese, putting the picture behind the protective wall of “fair use” before it begins. And one can understand the anxiety of the production, as co-writer/director/actor Vera Drew wields the world of D.C. Comics and the D.C. Extended Universe to inspire a “queer coming-of-age film” that uses the history of Batman and Superman in ways never before seen on screen. Drew attempts to create a subversive comedy about identity, self-worth, and the many ways of love with the endeavor, employing pop culture sacred cows to propel a highly bizarre movie that remains somewhat formulaic with characterization, but essentially lives to poke at superhero entertainment. Drew goes the DIY route with “The People’s Joker,” basically building a greenscreen odyssey into comedy and concern that’s impressively imagined at times, representing a real homegrown effort to complete a personal vision for mischief and creative expression. Actually sitting through the feature is a bit more challenging. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Many people, including myself, believed 2020’s “Rifkin’s Festival” would be the final film for writer/director Woody Allen. However, the 88-year-old helmer stays committed to his career, taking his business to Paris for “Coup de Chance,” reemerging with a darker tale of love and death in France. Allen’s visited the cruel edges of humanity before, plenty of times, and largely remains minimal and somewhat sinister with this, his 50th feature-length endeavor. It’s not a suspense piece, but more of a moody offering from Allen, who examines the whirlwind of attraction and the strain of marriage in the effort, taking the tale into bleak areas of jealousy and mistrust while lingering on his love of conversation and peculiar character business. “Coup de Chance” is Allen’s best picture in a decade, easily topping recent forays into mediocrity with a reasonably tight and mildly twisted tale that’s capably performed by the cast. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Thea Sharrock, director of “The One and Only Ivan” and “Me Before You,” takes on a true story of obscenity and mystery in “Wicked Little Letters.” Jonny Sweet claims a screenplay credit for this examination of written horror in Britain, which tracks levels of hysteria as explicit letters are mailed by an anonymous writer, pitting neighbors against each other as blame for such hostility triggers a war between women. “Wicked Little Letters” has a magnificent cast, with Olivia Coleman and Jessie Buckley portraying battling characters, and the supporting team is also stellar, bringing flavor to a sour study of spitefulness. It’s an uneven tone that ultimately gets in the way of the viewing experience, as Sharrock is tasked with creating balance as the material reaches light and dark spaces. She’s unable master the challenging mood of the film, which can’t quite decide if it wants to be a farce or a serious study of empowerment. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

God(zilla) only knows that 2021’s “Godzilla vs. Kong” didn’t have it easy. Created to revitalize the MonsterVerse and build it into something bigger, the movie was ultimately unleashed during the fog of the COVID-19 pandemic, enduring a simultaneous release in theaters and on streaming, potentially weakening box office possibilities for the sequel. However, there was an audience hungry for giant creature action, and “Godzilla vs. Kong” managed to become a hit, enchanting a global fanbase. And now the kaiju have returned for “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” with the production looking to expand on massive scale and action for a younger generation of MonsterVerse ticket-buyers. Director Adam Wingard isn’t aiming the feature at the “Godzilla Minus One” crowds, going in a more Saturday Morning Cartoon route with the endeavor, which is missing some CGI polish and epic world-building, but scores with pure entertainment and acknowledgment that most people stepping inside theaters to see the film are primarily interested in monster chaos. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In terms of career accomplishments, Steve Martin has conquered show business. At 78 years of age, he’s done just about everything, and has been extraordinarily successful at most things, using his wit and love of weirdness to triumph as a stand-up comedian and delight as an actor and writer. Director Morgan Neville (“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”) looks to examine the extent of Martin’s life and career in “Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in Two Pieces,” creating at challenge for himself as the subject has already covered his personal and professional achievements in books such as “Born Standing Up” and “Number One is Walking.” “Steve!” isn’t revelatory for longtime fans of the star, but Neville brings some gentle reflection to the entirety of this amazing existence, working with Martin to pull out deep feelings and distant memories. And there’s a wealth of A/V evidence to support the journey, gifting viewers a chance to understand the world of Steve Martin as Neville breaks up the adventure into two chapters that deal with different periods of aging. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2023’s “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey” was a micro-budgeted production that managed to capture headlines due to its use of author A.A. Milne’s beloved characters, transferring gentle personalities into the realm of slasher cinema. The idea of the feature went viral, inspiring ticket-buyers to see what writer/director Rhys Frake-Waterfield was going to do with his button-pushing concept. And then viewers were confronted with the punishing reality of Frake-Waterfield’s amateur filmmaking skills and lack of imagination, turning “Blood and Honey” into one of the worst movies of the year. Alas, money was made, and Frake-Waterfield is right back, one year later, with “Blood and Honey 2,” which does next to nothing to improve on the viewing experience. In reality, things are just as awful in the sequel, which should be boosted by the power of hindsight and newfound budgetary might, but mostly remains an excruciatingly dull, dreadfully acted, and poorly written follow-up that’s really no different than what came before. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Liam Neeson has been making the same type of movie for quite some time now. While box office returns haven’t been strong, someone is making money, because the actor keeps finding work with violent entertainment. Neeson doesn’t exactly distance himself from the usual with “In the Land of Saints and Sinners,” but the feature is a slight break from the norm, reteaming with his “The Marksman” director, Robert Lorenz, for an Irish tale of revenge and protection. “In the Land of Saints and Sinners” handles with pleasing hostility, and the script by Mark Michael McNally and Terry Loane creates dimensional characters to follow, making for a deeper inspection of danger. It’s a sharp, involving film, and one of the better Neeson endeavors of the last five years. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Bob Byington isn’t a filmmaker who’s chasing after grander creative challenges with each endeavor. He makes small, idiosyncratic pictures, spending extraordinarily little money while detailing the vastness of ego and neuroses. He previously helmed “7 Chinese Brothers” and “Infinity Baby,” and now Byington returns with “Lousy Carter,” which, as expected, doesn’t go beyond his creative interests or his budgetary limitations. However, it is a funny examination of curdled people, offering lead David Krumholtz an opportunity to chew on a dimensional character as he manages the effort’s love of deadpan humor and strange personalities. “Lousy Carter” is dry stuff, but there are laughs to be had while Byington details the journey of a depressed man and his adventure into the finality of his existence, and all the oddity and temptation he pursues. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Steve Buscemi is primarily known for his acting efforts, frequently achieving greatness with a varied filmography, often portraying itchy personalities with limited patience for others. He’s also carved out a directorial career, but he hasn’t touched it in 17 years, with “The Listener” his return behind the camera, previously helming such films as “Trees Lounge,” “Lonesome Jim,” and “Animal Factory.” Buscemi and screenwriter Alessandro Camon confront the psychological mess of the COVID-19 pandemic with the material, but they remain respectful of the situation, creating an incredibly small-scale study of therapy and connection with the picture, which completely focuses on a single character dealing with helpline callers for 90 minutes. There’s nowhere to go in “The Listener,” giving Camon a chance to create tension through conversations, while Buscemi spends his time highlighting behaviors and calming techniques, working with star Tessa Thompson and a host of voices to explore the darkness of isolation and need for connection. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1999’s “Bringing Out the Dead” presented a grim understanding of paramedic life, following a collection of strung-out, freaked-out characters trying to make sense of the job and their encroaching insanity. Director Martin Scorsese wasn’t afraid of the horror, but he wanted something a bit more profound with the film. “Asphalt City” doesn’t show the same restraint, with helmer Jean-Stephane Sauvaire overseeing a direct entrance to urban hell, studying all the points of pressure facing a small assortment of EMS workers as they deal with New York City’s worst. It’s a pressure cooker viewing experience from Sauvaire, who’s looking to generate a level of anxiety that mirrors what the professionals are facing. However, instead of understanding job responsibilities and the sheer violence of the work, Sauvaire looks to get artful and extended with the picture, often distracted by his own moviemaking interests. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

People love cats, and it’s a safe bet that these fans will pay money to attend a movie that’s primarily about watching felines in various forms of play and curiosity. “A Cat’s Life” is an adaptation of a novel by Maurice Genevoix, with co-writer/director Guillaume Maidatchevsky attempting to bring the fluid world of literary imagination to the screen, working with an animal that’s not typically known for its ability to be trained. “A Cat’s Life” is a French production, often eschewing the lure of Hollywood-style cutes to offer something more primal about behavior and connection. There’s plenty of mischief in the film, but the helmer doesn’t craft a strictly gentle endeavor, electing for more of a reality when it comes to life and death, and the stresses of human life, which makes for a decently involving viewing experience. The effort eventually pulls away from cat activity in its final movement, but Maidatchevsky does well working with his furry stars, creating a feature that, for its first two acts, finds its magic in the simple ways of feline behavior. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Immaculate” is written by Andrew Lobel, and it’s his first effort in the world of feature-length filmmaking. He doesn’t have many fresh concepts for the picture, but he does have blood and various grotesqueries, also trying to have some fun in the world of “nunsploitation,” merging Catholic oppression with something macabre brewing over the run time. Director Michael Mohan (“Save the Date,” and the most screencapped movie of 2021, “The Voyeurs”) has the job to make a sinister premise come alive, but suspense and frights are basically uninvited to this genre party. Instead of a nail-biter with a palpable sense of evil, “Immaculate” is lethargic and unwilling to put in the work to really rile up viewers with its ideas on religious submission and perversion. Star Sydney Sweeney is no help, unable to bring the thunder in a role that requires a special level of panic she’s seemingly incapable of summoning. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2021’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” was an effort to get fans back into the franchise while introducing a younger generation to the highlights of the series. Director Jason Reitman (who co-wrote the film with Gil Kenan) had a specific mission with the movie, and he successfully put the brand name up on its feet with an exciting, emotional, and well-cast sequel. Now the Ghostbusters are back in business, with Kenan taking over helming duties (pairing with Reitman for the script), pursuing more of a ghostbusting tone that deals with generations of personal problems. “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” doesn’t quite have the heart or mystery of its predecessor, but it remains tremendous fun as Kenan returns the saga to where it all began, creating a fresh enemy for the expanded squad, juggling their various missions and concerns. Callbacks and the return of a few old faces aren’t denied, fitting into the flow of this exciting feature, which feels like the next logical step for the Ghostbusters as they look to enchant the faithful and engage the newcomers. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The potential audience for “Road House” probably has no idea the feature is a remake. The 1989 Rowdy Herrington original was a rough-and-ready drive-in picture for the 1980s, exploring bad attitudes and bare-knuckle enlightenment, becoming wonderfully trashy entertainment with A-film technical achievements and B-movie atmosphere. It also offered perfect casting, with the late Patrick Swayze fully understanding the acting assignment, bringing a duality of strength and wisdom to the character of Dalton. For 2024, Jake Gyllenhaal tries to create a different Dalton for a new “Road House,” which takes its lead from the world of MMA fighting. Director Doug Liman offers lovely locations and some bar fights, but he’s not really trying to recapture the flavor of the 1989 endeavor, making more of a video game-esque viewing experience instead, aiming to be sillier with the premise. It’s not that the first “Road House” is high art, but it had a defined vibe and fantastic execution. Liman is just making a technical exercise in search of real cinematic conflict. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

A documentary on the life and times of William Shatner conjures plenty of expectations, with the actor in command of a colorful existence filled with career highlights and general eccentricity. However, “You Can Call Me Bill” is directed by Alexandre O. Philippe, and he’s not a helmer interested in making something flashy and superficial. The man behind “Memory: The Origins of Alien” and “Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist,” Philippe is more interested in getting under the skin of his subjects, playing with stillness and introspection to best extract a deeper understanding of the situation. Thankfully, Shatner is ready to play along, sitting down for this unexpectedly reflective conversation about acting, nature, and the ways of life and death. “You Can Call Me Bill” is a fascinating portrait of Shatner, who, at 92 years of age, remains as animated as ever, eager to walk through the memories of his active days, doing so with a hearty sense of humor and emotional intensity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com