My View: The Last Witch Hunter (2015) PG-13 An immortal witch hunter named, Kaulder (Vin
Diesel), teams with a beautiful female witch (Rose Leslie) to stop the covens
of New York City from destroying humanity by unleashing a horrific plague. This
is a film where you know what you are getting even before the opening titles
run; a film that isn’t bad enough to be fun but a mediocre film that gets old
very quickly. The action sequences are horribly staged with shaky camera work
and a lot of very quick cuts. The cuts
are so fast I had a hard time knowing what was happening. It’s a movie that
thinks it has to explain everything, sometimes two or three times. Vin Diesel
is fine as an action hero, but he has trouble with slow moving scenes where he
has to handle a lot of dialogue and, unfortunately, there a lot of them. He does have nice chemistry with Leslie, who
plays his reluctant sidekick, but she isn’t given much to do in the film,
except to scream. Michael Caine is wasted as a priest who helps the witch
hunter in his missions, but he spends most of the film in a drug-induced deep
sleep. I almost fell asleep while
watching this slow moving “action” film. My Rating: Cable The Last Witch Hunter Website
Indiefest: Rock the
Kasbah (2015) R Richie (Bill Murray) is a Rock-N-Roll manager
who has seen better times. While taking his last remaining artist on a USO tour
in Afghanistan, he finds himself in Kabul and discovers a young Afghan girl
(Leem Lubany) whom he mentors while she competes on the Afghanistan version of
American Idol. This is one disappointing
film, so much so, that you feel that actors like Bruce Willis and Danny McBride
did this movie just for the paycheck. There are a couple of times you can see
glimmers of a better film, but those moments are few and far between. More
often you are frustrated by the weak and lazy script that seems to put every
cliché character that you could think of in the film. My biggest disappointment
is with Murray. He comes off not as the charming and impish actor we all adore,
but one who is irritating and annoying. Murray tries to put on the charm, but
it never clicks, just making those attempts seem tired and lacking any emotion.
Murray isn’t helped by a script written by Mitch Glazer and directed by Barry
Levinson. They give Lubany, who has a beautiful singing voice, absolutely
nothing to do but say a few throwaway lines about being brave. Levinson, who
directed such gems as “Avalon,” “Diner” and “Wag the Dog,” is at his worst in
this film. The film feels choppy as the transitions from each scene drag, and
the few action sequences seem stilted. The film lacks any powerful emotional
moment and never gives us anything to cheer for. The last ten minutes of this
movie just seem to give up and go for the big clichéd finish because the script
paints the story into a corner. My Rating:
Cable Rock the Kasbah Website
Indiefest: Time Out
of Mind (2014) PG George (Richard Gere) has
been homeless and on the streets for a long time. He seeks refuge at Bellevue
Hospital, a Manhattan intake center for homeless men. He makes friends with a
fellow homeless man (Ben Vereen) who convinces George to try and mend his
relationship with his daughter. This
film tackles the subject of the homeless by slowing immersing us in their
world. The film follows George from a distance, shooting him from afar as we
look at George through windows and doorways.
We see a man who has been beaten down by life, his only mission is to
survive and find a place to sleep for the night. George is a man who handles
the rejection by the public with a quiet grace, never getting into
confrontations, even with the people who throw him out of buildings or
entrance ways. It’s a stunning and
fascinating performance by Gere, and he is on-screen throughout the entire
film. It’s a role that few would tackle, as Gere lets us see a character who is
raw and exposed. This is a film that lets us see a person on the street as
someone human, not a person that we usually just ignore. This is a film that will change the way you
see and deal with a very difficult subject. My Rating: Full Price Time Out of Mind Website
My View: Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015) R Ryan (Chris J. Murray) and his family have just moved into a new home. Ryan finds a 20-year-old tape that shows two girls being taught supernatural abilities by what appears to be their mother. Soon, after viewing the tape, strange things start happening in the house, and it seems Ryan’s daughter is being targeted by supernatural forces. The fifth and hopefully last of the “Paranormal Activity” series is the worst of the bunch, going out like a whimper of a person being terrorized by a ghost. While the film was shot in 3-D, it doesn’t look it, as the 3-D effects only show up when the supernatural beings appear. The scares are minimum and are all of the "jump out of the dark" with a loud noise variety. The film uses the “found footage” genre, but that genre is getting old and has worn out it’s welcome. What started out as a phenomenon has ended as a ho-hum bland film. And please, no one stare into a mirror and say "Bloody Mary" three times. I really don't want to see any more of these films! My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See It Again Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension Website
Indiefest:
Experimenter (2015) PG-13 A famous
social psychologist, Stanley Milgram (Peter Sarsgaard), in 1961, conducted a
series of behavioral experiments that were extremely controversial. The
experiments tested ordinary humans and their willingness to obey authority,
even if it meant that someone else might get hurt. A bit of a warning; this film isn’t for
everybody as it “breaks the fourth wall” - the main character, Milgram, speaks
directly to the audience while the scene he is in continues in the background.
Also, the film uses techniques such as having the characters do a scene in a
car that is obviously shot on a soundstage or using a background that is
painted on a big canvas, not looking very realistic at all. A couple of times,
Milgram is talking about the “elephant in the room,” when there is literally an
elephant in the room. The film is an interesting look at the human condition
and why we do things when we know they could be wrong or have a bad outcome.
Sarsgaard gives an intelligent and dazzling performance as the complex and
complicated psychologist. While not a challenging role, I did enjoy Winona
Ryder as Milgram’s wife who becomes a partner in Milgram’s experiments. It’s a
challenging film to watch, but much like its main character, it’s worth getting
to know. My Rating: Full Price
Forgotten Film: All
the Right Moves (1983) R A high school
football player (Tom Cruise) who sees football as a way to get out of his
small, steelworker town, clashes with
his head coach (Craig T. Nelson), a man who seems to be on track to get
a college coaching job. Cruise gives a flawless performance as the headstrong
high schooler who is convinced that he has the talent to play at the next
level. Nelson gives one of his better
performances as the hard driving, stubborn coach who rules over his team with
an iron fist. What makes this movie is the performance of Lea Thompson, who
plays Cruise’s characters girlfriend. Her character isn’t just the usual
teenage girlfriend, but Thompson makes her a real person who is just as
desperate to get out of the small town but doesn’t see as many opportunities to
escape as her football playing boyfriend has. My Rating: Full Price All the Right Moves Website
Weird Credits: From
the credits of Experimenter: Art Swing
Until Next Time!
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