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movieguru2014 · 7 years

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31 (2016-British-U.S.) C-102m. ** Directed by: Rob Zombie. Starring: Sheri Moon Zombie, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Meg Foster, Kevin Jackson, Malcolm McDowell, Jane Carr, Judy Geeson, Richard Brake, Pancho Moler, David Ury, Lew Temple, Torsten Voges, E.G. Daily, and Michael “Redbone” Alcott. Or, "The Hunger Games: Rob Zombie Edition”. Five carnies are abducted to an abandoned warehouse and given 12 hours ("Purge” anyone?) to survive a life-or-death stakes game of cat-and-mouse with a rogue’s gallery of crazed, homicidal circus clowns—while being bet on by a group of upper-class socialites (led by McDowell) that proceed to look on in amusement. This crowd-funded opus from rocker/horror aficionado Zombie is wonderfully art-directed to within an inch of its life—and Brake spouts off some memorable monologues—but as to be expected, it’s extremely bloody, profane, and above all…uninspired. Not without style and panache, but an aftertaste that’s quite a bitter one. A WEAK NOT RECOMMEND. HD Widescreen. [R]

#31 #circus #circus clowns #clowns #drama #fight #film #horror #movie #review

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movieguru2014 · 7 years

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Belko Experiment, The (2017-U.S.-Colombian) C-89m. **½ Directed by: Greg McLean. Starring: John Gallagher, Jr., Tony Goldwyn, Adria Ajona, John C. McGinley, Melonie Diaz, Owain Yeoman, Sean Gunn, Brent Sexton, Josh Brener, David Dastmalchian, David Del Rio, Gregg Henry, Michael Rooker, Rusty Schwimmer, and Gail Bean. Somewhere in the heart of South America, 80 people become the unwilling participants of a “social experiment" where they’re barricaded inside a giant office complex, armed, and forced to kill each other until only one is left. We follow one such group as they gradually form antagonistic factions while civility and rationality slowly but surely go down the drain once the body count increases. The critics were right when they said that this Blumhouse-produced splatter fest was "Battle Royale” meets "Office Space” (the casting of McGinley as Goldwyn’s fiendish right-hand man might as well confirm that), and it’s definitely a sweet redemption song for McLean—who helmed "The Darkness” a year before. However, with the violence cranked to outrageously high numbers and a tone that’s as cynical as the characters on screen, this is not for all tastes—and no amount of witty satire can change that. Nevertheless, it’s tense, suspenseful, and off-the-wall enough to keep undiscriminating horror fans happy. Written by James Gunn. A WEAK RECOMMEND. HD Widescreen. [R]

#action #battle #carnage #death #film #game #horror #review #survival #thriller

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movieguru2014 · 8 years

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Zootopia (2016) C-108m. ***½ Directed by: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, and Jared Bush. Featuring the voices of: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Nate Torrance, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Tommy Chong, J.K. Simmons, Octavia Spencer, Alan Tudyk, Shakira, Raymond S. Persi, Della Saba, Maurice LaMarche, and Kristen Bell. Lush, strikingly unique animated feature about a wide-eyed bunny who lives out her dream of becoming a cop in a city where animals—predator and prey—walk among each other in perfect harmony. Upon her arrival, she meets a wily fox (a fine-tuned Bateman) who ends up aiding her in cracking a case involving a large group of mammals that have gone missing and may be at risk of reverting back to their primitive, predatory nature. A cut above the usual Disney fodder that takes its time to delve deep into themes about racism, stereotyping, social politics, affirmative action, and many more without painting with too broad of a brush. Plus, theres enough funny gags and visual flourishes to go around, including rock-solid vocal performances from a cast that’s as colorful as the characters they portray. A STRONG RECOMMEND. [PG]

#action #adventure #animals #anthropomorphic #buddy #buddy cop #buddy cop movie #bunny #children's movie #cop #disney #film #film review #fox #movie #review

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movieguru2014 · 8 years

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Purge: Election Year, The (2016-U.S.-French) C-105m. **½ Directed by: James DeMonaco. Starring: Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell, Mykelti Williamson, Raymond J. Barry, Joseph Julian Soria, Betty Gabriel, Terry Serpico, Edwin Hodge, Kyle Secor, Barry Nolan, Liza Colon-Zayas, Ethan Phillips, Adam Cantor, Christopher James Baker, Jared Kemp, and Brittany Mirabile. Given our current political climate, the timing couldn’t be more perfect (or inappropriate depending on how hard this movie’s themes hit you this time around…and they will hit you…hard) for what may be the grisliest (if slightly cartoonish) installment yet. A couple years since the events of the last entry, hard-boiled Leo Barnes (Grillo) now works as a personal bodyguard for presidential candidate Charlie Roan (Mitchell), who’s heading a campaign based entirely on abolishing the titular holiday after suffering a traumatic event during that night fifteen years ago. When they’re forced out into the deserted corpse-littered streets of Washington D.C. (read: Providence, Rhode Island), they’ll have to work together to survive what could be the final Purge…unless box office numbers dictate otherwise. Like that last two films, there’s absolutely no shortage of freakish imagery, ghoulish peripheral characters (Walter Hill's 1978 classic “The Warriors” clearly had to be on the back of someone's mind…maybe writer/director DeMonaco), and effective social commentary that encourages us to look at where we are as a society, but its jarring shifts from dark, gratuitous violence to pulpy B-movie camp dampen the overall impact of what it’s saying. Nevertheless, it’s a wild ride from start to finish and a perfect way to put a cap on the entire series. Plus, it features probably the most effective use of Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.” to date. A WEAK RECOMMEND overall. HD Widescreen. [R]

#action #death #film #film review #horror #horror film #horror movie #movie #movie review #politics #political system #purge #riots #third movie #third sequel #violence

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movieguru2014 · 8 years

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Dirty Grandpa (2016) C-102m. **½ Directed by: Dan Mazer. Starring: Robert De Niro, Zac Efron, Zoey Deutch, Aubrey Plaza, Jason Mantzoukas, Dermot Mulroney, Julianne Hough, Jeffery Bowyer-Chapman, Brandon Mychal Smith, Jake Picking, Michael Hudson, Adam Pally, Mo Collins, Henry Zebrowski, and Danny Glover. Uptight business lawyer Efron is about to wed his equally uptight girlfriend Hough, but not until he takes his abrasive, unapologetically lecherous grandfather (De Niro) to visit his old war buddy…or at least that’s what the original plan was. They wind up driving cross-country together and having a series of wild drug and sex-fueled misadventures but also gain some perspective on life from one another. Raunchy, sophomoric comedy offers a dream cross-generational teaming and an even balance between crudity and sentiment that maintains itself for as long as it can, but after a while it’s simply exhausting—though not every movie can get De Niro to sing karaoke to Ice Cube’s “Today Was a Good Day”. A WEAK RECOMMEND. HD Widescreen. [R]

#adventure #buddy #buddy comedy #buddy movie #comedy #critic #critique #dirty #family #film #film review #filthy #grandpa #grandfather #movie #movie review #review #young and old

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movieguru2014 · 8 years

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Darkness, The (2016) C-92m. ** Directed by: Greg McLean. Starring: Kevin Bacon, Radha Mitchell, Matt Walsh, Jennifer Morrison, Lucy Fry, David Mazouz, Parker Mack, Paul Reiser, Ming-Na Wen, Tara Lynne Barr, Krista Marie Yu, Jamie Bernadette, Ilza Rosario, Christopher Darga, and Judith McConnell. A well-to-do family returns home from a trip to the Grand Canyon, but then seem clueless as malevolent spirits slowly start to turn their lives upside down and eventually learn that their youngest son may be the root cause of it all. Yet another shameless echo of "Poltergeist” follows its template fairly closely: Every time things go bump in the night, the parents write it off as bad behavior on the child’s part, but it’s only after the stakes are raised that they start to accept the grim reality that there’s something rotten in Denmark. However, you may also cringe once the film flirts with the idea that autistic children are able to contact the other side. Only the skill of the actors keep this from being a total waste of time…though much of that time may be spent wondering if the house they shot in is the same one used in TV’s Blackish or Modern Family. Originally titled “6 Miranda Drive”. A WEAK NOT RECOMMEND. Super 35. [PG-13]

#critic #critique #death #film #haunt #haunted #haunting #haunted house #haunted house movie #horror #horror movie #movie #movie review #review

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movieguru2014 · 8 years

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Deadpool (2016-U.S.-Canadian) C-108m. *** Directed by: Tim Miller. Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Ed Skrein, Michael Benyaer, Gina Carano, Brianna Hildebrand, T.J. Miller, Isaac C. Singleton, Jr., Morena Baccarain, Karan Soni, Style Dane, Kyle Cassie, Taylor Hickson, Ayzee, Naika Toussaint, Randal Reeder; and featuring the voice of Stefan Kapicic. Wade Wilson (Reynolds) is a sharp-tongued N.Y.C. gun-for-hire who—after being diagnosed with cancer—volunteers to participate in a secret government experiment that not only cures his cancer, but renders him facially disfigured…and completely invulnerable. Now clad in a red and black suit, he takes full advantage of his newfound abilities to seek revenge on those who wronged him…and have some fun in the process. Outrageous, flagrantly foul-mouthed, and deliciously twisted from start to finish. The most un-Marvel-like Marvel movie (adapted from Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza’s comic book series) since “Blade”, this one has a fresh look and a nonstop barrage of hilarious insults and comebacks, without relying too heavily on Reynolds’ smart-alecky comic persona—a little of which goes a long, long way. As expected, comic creator Stan Lee appears as a strip club DJ. A STRONG RECOMMEND. HD Widescreen. [R]

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movieguru2014 · 8 years

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UPDATE TIME!

Hey, guys! I know it’s been quite sometime since I’ve posted any movie reviews recently but due to a series of events that I’ll spare you--plus an outdated browser--I haven’t had much of a chance to post anything. However, with 2016 rolling around the corner, I’ll be posting ten reviews that I’ve written this past year in order from worst to best (though not all of them will be recent) just to get myself back into gear for a brand new year. Anyway, I’m glad there’s still a minority of you guys who still enjoy reading my thoughts on some of these movies and hopefully we can make 2016 a terrific year--especially since the Oscars are once again coming up and there are a ton of titles coming out. In addition, next year I’ll be taking requests on what movies you want me to see and review (that is if you’re following me). Just leave me a message and I’ll get back to you on that as soon as I can but in the mean time have a happy holiday and an equally happy new year and I will talk to you guys later!

#blog #cinema #film #movies #reviews #update

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movieguru2014 · 9 years

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The Judge

Judge, The (2014) C-141m. **½ Directed by: David Dobkin. Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Dax Shepard, Leighton Meester, Denis O’Hare, Ken Howard, Emma Tremblay, Balthazar Getty, David Krumholtz, Grace Zabriskie, and Sarah Lancaster. A cocky, self-absorbed lawyer with one-too-many skeletons in his closet travels back to his hometown in Indiana to attend his late mother’s funeral and (hopefully) reconcile with his two brothers (D’Onofrio, Strong) and his estranged father (Duvall): the town’s judge who, upon their reunion, is currently facing murder alligations. Who better to take his case head-on than his own flesh and blood? While the film’s supporting cast is at the top of their game, Downey and Duvall are without a doubt a force to be reckoned with when put together on-screen…that is when they’re not trying to one-up each other with (little to no subtlety) towards the climax, but some of the subplots in addition to the lead character’s other stories aren’t terribly interesting or relevant. Plus, do we really need to be sprinkled with repeated scenes of people vomiting and deficating themselves? Otherwise, fans of the two stars should enjoy it and get's A WEAK RECOMMEND from me nonetheless. Super 35. [R]

#attorney #court #courtroom #courtroom drama #drama #family #father #father-son relationship #lawyer #movie #murder #murder case #review #trial

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movieguru2014 · 9 years

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Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014-Turkish-U.S.) C-102m. *** Directed by: Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez. Starring: Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rosario Dawson, Bruce Willis, Eva Green, Powers Boothe, Dennis Haysbert, Ray Liotta, Christopher Meloni, Jeremy Piven, Christopher Lloyd, Jaime King, Juno Temple, and Lady Gaga. As with its predecessor, the plight of the violence-prone thug Marv (Rourke), a compulsive gambler (Gordon-Levitt), and a two-bit hood (Brolin, replacing Clive Owen) converge into one as they try to take down their town’s sinister, power-hungry senator (Boothe) by means of face smashing, eye-gouging (we kid you not), stabbing, shooting, and…on certain occasions…poker playing. The only thing that stands in their way----or better yet in Brolin’s way----is a sly seductress (wonderfully played by Green) who seems to have just about every male character in this movie on a skin-tight leash. Somewhat of an improvement over the last film in terms of pacing, storytelling, and casting (indeed, several drastic changes were made for its characters due to Brittany Murphy and Michael Clarke Duncan’s tragic and untimely death) as well as overall panache. However, it’s ten times as brutal and twenty times as misogynistic at the same time so sensitive viewer beware. Frank Miller appears unbilled. On-screen title is "Frank Miller's Sin City: A Dame to Kill For". A STRONG RECOMMEND. 3D. HD Widescreen. [R]

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movieguru2014 · 9 years

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Men, Women & Children

Men, Women & Children (2014) C-119m. *½ Directed by: Jason Reitman. Starring: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, Rosemarie DeWitt, Judy Greer, Dean Norris, Timothee Chalamet, Olivia Crocicchia, Kaitlyn Dever, Ansel Elgort, Katherine C. Hughes, Elena Kampouris, Will Peltz, Travis Tope, David Denman, and J.K. Simmons. Teenagers and their parents are confronted daily with the human drama of self-image, relationships, and sexual dysfunction. Cross-section of anywhere-America intersects (a la "Disconnect") with the thread once again being social media and its drastic affects on our lives. The film (written by Reitman, adapted from Chad Kultgen’s novel) means to be timely but, like the remarkable talent involved, loses itself in a jumbled, heavy-handed, and poorly paced mess that leaves a foul taste behind. Toxic hodgepodge involving infidelity and depression----as well as pornography addiction----just doesn’t jell. A VERY STRONG NOT RECOMMEND. Super 35. [R]

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movieguru2014 · 9 years

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Let's Be Cops

Let’s Be Cops (2014) C-104m. *** Directed by: Luke Greenfield. Starring: Jake Johnson, Damon Wayans, Jr., Rob Riggle, Nina Debrov, James D’Arcy, Keegan Michael-Key, Andy Garcia, Jonathan Lajoie, Tom Mardirosian, Natasha Leggero, Rebecca Koon, Joshua Ormond, L. Warren Young, Nelson Bonilla, and Brian Oerly. Two pals (Johnson, Wayans, Jr.)----who’ve never made good at anything----attend a costume party dressed as police officers and decide to exploit the further possibilities, but it’s all fun and games until a crooked cop (Garcia) and a sinister mob hood (D’Arcy) gets wind of their antics. The premise is absolutely absurd, but the filmmakers know it and have created a funny, entertaining, and well-crafted guilty-pleasure comedy in the "Police Academy" mode. A MILD RECOMMEND. HD Widescreen. [R]

#action #buddy #buddy comedy #car chase #cop #crime #criminal #film #goofy #movie #policeman #review

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movieguru2014 · 9 years

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Left Behind

I honestly wasn't even going to dignify this with a review, but because it's been a while since I've ripped a movie a new asshole...why not? Left Behind (2014) C-110m. BOMB Directed by: Vic Armstrong. Starring: Nicolas Cage, Chad Michael Murray, Lea Thompson, Nicky Whelan, Cassi Thomson, Quinton Aaron, Martin Klebba, Laura Cayouette, Jordin Sparks, Stephanie Honore, Georgina Rawlings, William Ragsdale, Gary Grubbs, Alec Rayme, and Ashton Leigh. Colossally stupid faith-based drama about a group of survivors who band together when the rest of civilization mysteriously disappear, seemingly in fulfillment of the Biblical prophecy of the Rapture. With a laborious pace, wildly uneven performances, and laughable clichés, this cancerous twaddle should’ve lived up to its title. Barely released theatrically. THE STRONGEST OF STRONG NOT RECOMMENDS. HD Widescreen. [PG-13]

#action #airplane #airplane pilot #B-movie #B-movie plot #Bible #Biblical themes #carnage #death #destrucition #end of the world #film #movie #Rapture #review #the end

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movieguru2014 · 9 years

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John Wick

John Wick (2014-U.S.-Canadian-Chinese) C-101m. *** Directed by: Chad Stahelski. Starring: Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Willem Dafoe, Adrianne Palicki, John Leguizamo, Ian McShane, Bridget Moynahan, Lance Reddick, Dean Winters, Omer Barnea, Toby Leonard Moore, Daniel Bernhardt, Bridget Regan, and Keith Jardine. Reeves----in a tailor-made role----plays a recently widowed man who now leads a life of solitude, only to have it come crashing down on him after a home invasion in which his car is stolen and his dog is killed by a group of Eastern European thugs that he eventually puts to good use as his own personal sets of target practice. Slick, stylish, and (of course) action-packed from start to finish. Although it doesn’t necessarily cover any new ground, the main character’s backstory gives us enough emotional heft to what is essentially a much flashier, hyperkinetic comic book-like version of DEATH WISH: proof that a popcorn thrill-ride type of movie doesn’t have to be too cartoonish----or overlong----to get the visceral response it seeks. A STRONG RECOMMEND. HD Widescreen. [R]

#action #asassin #car #carjacking #crime #criminal #dead #death #dog #drama #film #gun #gunplay #kicking ass #killing #movie #murder #revenge #review #vengeance

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movieguru2014 · 9 years

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The Interview

Interview, The (2014) C-112m. ** Directed by: Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen. Starring: James Franco, SethRogen, Lizzy Caplan, Randall Park, Diana Bang, Anders Holm, Timothy Simons, Reese Alexander, James Yi, Paul Bae, Geoff Gustafson, Dominique Lalonde, Anesha Bailey, Charles Rahi Chun, and Don Chow. Or, "Beavis and Butt-Head Do North Korea". Franco (in an unusually over-the-top performance) plays Dave Skylark, a bumbling, self-absorbed entertainment reporter who travels to North Korea after his long-suffering producer pal Aaron Rapaport (Rogen) books him an exclusive in-depth interview with its dictator Kim Jon-un (Park)…only to be shanghaied by the C.I.A. who gives them the task of killing their subject on the spot. Other than ruffling more than a few feathers with North Korea and their government (for fairly obvious reasons), this uneven, mostly unfunny screwball farce has its moments but those moments are too few and far between to merit even the slightest chuckle...not even Franco’s abundance of mugging can save this self-indulgent misfire. However, it may go down in history as being the first movie to be given a straight-to-online release after facing numerous threats from you-know-who overseas. Cameos include Eminem, Rob Lowe, Bill Mahr, Seth Meyers, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brian Williams, and Scott Pelley. Otherwise, A WEAK NOT RECOMMEND. Super 35. [R]

#action #actor #C.I.A.#comedy #controversial #controversy #entertainment #entertainment reporter #farce #farcical #government #movie #North Korea #review #screwball #screwball comedy

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movieguru2014 · 9 years

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The Identical

Identical, The (2014) C-107m. *** Directed by: Dustin Marcellino. Starring: Blake Rayne, Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Seth Green, Joe Pantoliano, Erin Cottrell, Brian Geraghty, Amanda Crew, Chris Mulkey, Noah Urrea, Waylon Payne, Danny Woodburn, Gary Beaty, Caylin Cervetti, and Ken Dodge. In rural Alabama during the Great Depression, two identical (hence the title) twin brothers are separated at birth by their parents (Geraghty, Crew) out of desperation and the need for money. Several decades later, they each live separate and totally different lives: one of them tries to find middle ground between his love for music and pleasing his overbearing father (Liotta) having been raised in a devout Catholic home where rock music and anything associated with it is frowned upon (uhh, anyone getting any "Footloose" vibes?), the other leads a life of fame and glamour as a rock-and-roll sensation in full-on Elvis mode... However, a triumphant reunion is eventually brought on through fate and circumstance. Despite a stale opening first half hampered with heavily over-zealous themes and undertones, this is a sweet, touching story that’s not only simply told but jam-packed with plenty of musical numbers that capture the film’s time period quite well. Plus, a fair majority of those songs were written by newcomer Rayne, who----not surprisingly----used to work as an Elvis impersonator. Barely released theatrically----for some strange reason. A WEAK RECOMMEND. Super 35. [PG]

#art #baptism #bar #Bible #brothers #comedy #drama #drinking #fame #glamour #hip #movie #music #review #rock #rock and roll

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movieguru2014 · 9 years

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Gone Girl

Gone Girl (2014) C-149m. **** Directed by: David Fincher. Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens, Patrick Fugit, David Clennon, Lisa Banes, Missi Pyle, Emily Ratajkowski, Sela Ward, Casey Wilson, Lola Kirke, and Boyd Holbrook. In a small Missouri town where everybody knows just about everybody, a seemingly harmless man named Nick Dunne (Affleck) becomes a social pariah (and the prime suspect) when his wife mysteriously disappears on the night of their fifth wedding anniversary. As each day goes by, the media and two doubtful detectives begin questioning Nick’s credibility, especially when incriminating clues start appearing and new stories regarding the state of his marriage prior to his wife’s disappearance start casting a light on what slowly becomes a modern day witch hunt…but is he really as innocent as he claims? Sharp, provocative, and relentlessly dark adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s novel depicts every spouse’s worst nightmare but mostly takes a jab at the culture’s growing fascination with the mass media’s coverage on crime as well as our tendency to point fingers and (ocassionally) distort the truth. As the self-serving Nancy Grace-like reporter who follows Nick’s case, Pyle shines bright while Coon knocks it out of the park as Nick’s long-suffering sister who stands by his side through thick and thin. THE STRONGEST OF RECOMMENDS. Super 35. [R]

#couple #crime #detective #disappearence #drama #film #grief #husband #kidnapping #movie #mystery #review #suspence #wife

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