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Outlaws of Sonora (1938)
An Okay Western but Somewhat Unrealistic and Predictable
This film essentially begins with a number of bandits robbing banks, stagecoaches and everything else in their path while leaving no living witnesses behind. To that effect, recognizing the danger involved, "Stony Brooke" (Robert Livingston) is asked by the local cattleman's association to ride to another town and retrieve some of their money which they have deposited there in the bank. Naturally, being the fearless cowboy that he is, Stony rides off with the paperwork necessary to make the withdrawal. Unknow to him, however, is the fact that the bandits have learned of the plan and subsequently ambush him along the way. And although Stony hasn't had a chance to withdraw the money from the bank, he does have the letter issued to him by the cattleman's association which they can use to extract the money themselves. And to do that, the leader of the bandits named "Dude Brennan" (also played by Robert Livingston) uses his uncanny resemblance to Stony to help in that effort. Not only that, but since he looks so much like Stony, he also decides to frame him for all of the crimes that he himself had committed as well. But what Dude doesn't count on is the persistence of Stony's colleagues "Tucson Smith" (Ray Corrigan) and "Lullaby Joslin" (Max Terhune) who faithfully endeavor to locate their friend and set the record straight. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this turned out to be an okay Western in spite of the rather predictable and unrealistic scenario involved. Be that as it may, while I certainly don't consider this to be one of the better "Three Mesquiteer" films, it passed the time well enough, and I have rated it accordingly. Average.
Amityville Island (2020)
Painful to Watch
This film essentially begins with a young mother of four children by the name of "Kelly Jo Knight" (Jamie Morgan) buying a house in Amityville and then stopping off at a yard sale not too far away. Recognizing what she considers to be a good bargain when she sees it, she then proceeds to buy almost all of the merchandise the woman in the yard is selling. What she doesn't realize, however, is that the merchandise being sold came from within the haunted house there in Amityville--and one particular item is possessed by an evil spirit from there. To that effect, not long afterward, she picks up a butcher knife inside her kitchen and brutally murders all of her children. The scene then shifts to several months later with Kelly Jo being sent to a special island where she and another prison inmate known simply as "Renata" (Danielle Donahue) being sent to a secret medical facility where they are to be used as test subjects for scientific research. The problem, however, is that the evil spirit still resides in Kelly Jo and it has a habit of temporarily leaving its new host to kill people around her. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was the third film directed by Mark Polania which incorporated the Amityville mystique-the first one being "Amityville Death House" in 2015 and then "Amityville Exorcism" in 2017. Quite frankly, neither one of these were any good--and this particular movie was even worse. The acting was bad, several subplots neglected critical information and the special effects were downright laughable. In short, this film was just plain awful, and I have rated it accordingly.
Woods of Evil (2005)
When Three Thugs Encounter a Psychopathic Killer
This film essentially begins with a young man named "Calvin" (Sheldon Miles Woodley) and his girlfriend driving on a secluded road somewhere in New York and then, seeing no other facilities in sight, deciding to stop to relieve himself in the woods. It's the last thing he ever does. So, when he doesn't return after several minutes, his girlfriend then ventures into that same spot and is also brutally murdered. The scene then shifts to some low-level thugs deciding to kidnap a young woman named "Charisse" (Nicholl Jones) who is the daughter of a rich businessman there in New York. In the process of doing that, they also kidnap her friend "Sonia" (Raine Brown) who happens to have an exceedingly rich father as well. Naturally, needing a hide out until the ransom is received, the kidnappers take their two hostages to a secluded cabin in the same woods where Calvin and his girlfriend were killed--and the psychopathic killer lurking in this area is more than willing to add all of these new visitors to his growing list of victims. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say this was one of those low-budget productions that would have probably been better if it had been built upon a more financially secure foundation. As it was, however, there were a number of flaws that were quite noticeable--with the most glaring weakness being the special effect which were practically non-existent. Likewise, the action scenes could have used significant improvement as well. Having said that, while I certainly don't consider this to be the worst low-budget horror film ever made, the faults just mentioned were simply too obvious to be ignored and, for that reason, I have rated this movie accordingly. Below average.
Prescription: Murder (1968)
The Pilot for a Very Successful Television Series
This film essentially begins with a married woman by the name of "Carol Flemming" (Nina Foch) suspecting that her husband "Dr. Ray Flemming" (Gene Barry) is being unfaithful and, as a result, announces to him that she plans on filing for a divorce the very next day. Realizing that she also plans on humiliating him in the process, he quickly initiates a plan that he and his mistress "Joan Hudson" (Katherine Justice) had come up with to murder her and make it look like a burglary gone wrong. Yet as elaborate as his scheme actually is, the one thing he doesn't count on is the persistence of the investigator assigned to this case--a man by the name of "Lieutenant Colombo" (Peter Falk). Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this made-for-television movie served as the pilot for an extremely successful 70's television series known simply as "Colombo" which appeared every third week on NBC with two other shows named "McCabe" and "McMillan and Wife" rotating alongside it. Personally, of the three television shows, I liked Colombo the best due to the way he always managed to get the guilty suspect to underestimate him--and this particular pilot episode is no different as he clearly demonstrates this uncanny ability in a battle of wits with a trained psychiatrist like Dr. Flemming. Admittedly, Lieutenant Colombo isn't quite as polished in this particular film as he was later on, but even so, I enjoyed this movie for the most part, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.
J'irai cracher sur vos tombes (1959)
Racism and Revenge in a French Version of the American South
When his younger brother is lynched for dating a white woman in Memphis, Tennessee, a light-skinned African-American named "Joe Grant" (Christian Marquand) decides to relocate to a small Southern town to get his revenge on his own terms. More specifically, since his brother's murder was driven by the racist culture in the South during this particular time, his goal soon becomes to have sexual relations with as many local White women as he can. And as luck would have it, the small town he chooses just happens to have a number of young, sexually promiscuous women who soon fall head-over-heels for the new stranger that just arrived. One particular problem, however, is that all of these women just happen to have boyfriends who are members of a youth gang which pretty much controls everything in town--with their leader "Stan Walker" (Paul Guers) being especially ruthless. It should also be noted that Stan just happens to be engaged to an attractive young lady named "Lizbeth Shannon" (Antonella Lualdi) who lives in a large mansion just outside of town and comes from a rich, aristocratic family. To that effect, Lizbeth becomes Joe's prized sexual target. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this film was a French production, and because of that, it bears little similarity to the actual culture and mannerisms of the people in the South during this particular time in American history--other than the overt racism, of course. To make matters even worse, the local terrain looked nothing like that part of the American South either. Likewise, the translation from French to English also left something to be desired as well. Be that as it may, although this movie certainly had some potential, the obvious faults just mentioned were much too obvious to be ignored and, for that reason, I have rated it accordingly. Average.
Miss Dial (2013)
A Cute Rom-Com
This film begins with an attractive young woman by the name of "Erica" (Robinne Lee) working from home as a customer service representative for a major multi-conglomerate corporation. To that effect, she resolves customers complaints all day long yet still maintains a positive outlook. One particular concern, however, involves her boyfriend "Alex" (John Huertas) who she thinks might be cheating on her with an office colleague of his named "Amanda" (Amanda Crew). At least, that is what Erica's best friend "Sam" (Sara Rue) believes. Yet whenever she tries to inquire about Alex's relationship with Amanda, he immediately castigates her for daring to question his fidelity--which only makes her question their relationship even more. So, to help with her feelings of anxiety and isolation, Erica decides to call random people and strike up a long-distance friendship with them with one specific person named "Kyle" (Sam Jaeger) being particularly sympathetic to her plight. However, when her conversations with him bleed over into her normal work hours, she soon discovers that she has reached a point about whether she wants to continue in her current job--and her relationship with Alex--any further. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was a fairly entertaining romantic-comedy due in large part to the acting of Robinne Lee who played her part to near perfection. Admittedly, the comedy isn't nearly as pronounced as it could have been but, even so, I enjoyed this film for the most part, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.
The Bag Man (2014)
Could Have Been Much Better if It Had Been More Realistic
This film begins with an extremely wealthy individual by the name of "Dragna" (Robert De Niro) offering an undisclosed amount of money to a man named "Jack" (John Cusack) to pick up a bag at a certain location and to wait for him in a specific room at a specific motel somewhere in rural Louisiana. To that effect, Dragna also tells Jack that--under no circumstances--is he to look inside the bag. Although quite puzzled by this, Jack agrees to these conditions and departs. Not long after that, Jack calls Dragna from the motel and informs him that, although he has the bag in his possession, was wounded while engaging in a gunfight with the very man he was sent to meet. Acknowledging this, Dragna tells him to continue to wait at the motel for him to arrive. What Dragna doesn't tell him though, is that there are a number of other people after the bag Jack has in his possession--and they all know where he is located. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this film started off rather well but, the longer the film progressed, the more unrealistic it became. But that's Hollywood for you. In any case, while I certainly don't consider this to be a bad movie by any means, it could have been much better if it had been more realistic and, for that reason, I have rated it accordingly. Average.
Call the Mesquiteers (1938)
More of a Gangster Film than an Actual Western
This film begins with a highly coordinated train robbery which nets the thieves several truckloads of silk cargo. To that effect, as the trucks are making their high-speed journey over a mostly deserted highway, one of them veers out-of-control and flips over on its side. So, rather than simply abandoning their stolen merchandise, the crooks immediately come up with a plan to commandeer the next vehicle that comes along. The scene then shifts to a truck driven by the Three Mesquiteers down the road when a man flags them over in apparent need of help. Naturally, being the rather courteous cowboys that they are, all three Mesquiteers willingly get out of their truck to help out--only to be forced at gunpoint to load their truck with the stolen goods and then held hostage inside of it while it speeds off down the road. To further compound their problem, after a shootout kills the crooks, they are riding with, the Three Mesquiteers are immediately suspected of being accomplices in the crime as well. So, with bullets whizzing past them, they belatedly come to the conclusion that the only way they can prove their innocence it to catch the other thieves--before the police catch them. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that I don't consider this to be one of the better "Three Mesquiteer" films due primarily to the fact that is seemed more in line with a gangster film than an actual Western. Likewise, the scene involving the boy named of "Timothy Irving" (Sammy McKim) and his dog seemed more appropriate for an episode of "Lassie" or "Rin Tin Tin" than in an actual Western. But that's just my opinion. In any case, while I don't consider this to be a bad film necessarily, I don't believe it was quite as good as most of the others in this series, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.
The Dawn (2019)
A Dull Movie
After her father brutally murders her entire family in Pennsylvania, a young girl named "Rose" (Teilor Grubbs) is sent to a convent to live instead of an orphanage. At first, Rose adjusts as well as she can even though she is still haunted by nightmares of what happened that night. Ten years pass by, and the adult "Rose" (now played by Devanny Pinn) begins to become more and more troubled by her dreams which soon bleed over into hallucinations during the daytime as well. To further add to her anguish, neither the local priest, "Father Theodore" (David Goryl) not "Reverend Mother Agnes" (Heather Wynters) seem to agree on how to help her with her traumatic experiences. However, it isn't until a young man studying to become a priest named "Jeremiah" (Ryan Kiser) becomes involved that the problems really intensify. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this movie started off rather slow and continued that way until the final few minutes--and even then, it still lacked the necessary excitement one would expect from a horror film of this type. Admittedly, the acting was solid for the most part but, even so, it was still a dull film overall, and I have rated it accordingly. Below average.
Murder in New Hampshire: The Pamela Smart Story (1991)
Based on a True Story
Based on a real-life incident, this film begins with a young woman named "Pamela Smart" (Helen Hunt) marrying her boyfriend "Greg Smart" (Hank Stratton) and then settling down to live a life happily ever after. At least, that is what Greg is led to believe as, less than a year later, Pamela becomes dissatisfied with their marriage and begins to have an affair with a young high school student named "William Flynn" (Chad Allen). Naturally, being much more experienced and mature than William, Pamela easily becomes the dominate figure in their relationship--to the point that she manages to convince him to kill Greg so that the two of them can be together. What Pamela fails to take into consideration, however, is that there are other high school students familiar with what is going on and they are not willing to shoulder all of the blame by themselves. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an interesting movie which covered the main points of the story in a thoughtful and concise manner. The problem, however, is that the made-for-television format resulted in a rather generic characterization which limited it's overall impact. It needed more passion and suspense. Even so, I suppose it passed the time well enough, and I have rated this movie accordingly. Average.
The Big House (1930)
A Good Prison Film
This film essentially begins with a young man by the name of "Kent" (Robert Montgomery) being tried and convicted of manslaughter for driving while intoxicated and killing someone in the process. Although he is truly sorry for his actions, his worst fears are realized when he is given a 10-year as punishment. To make matters even worse, upon his arrival to the prison, "the Warden" (played by Lewis Stone) puts him in the same cell with a man "Butch" (Wallace Beery) who is the worst prisoner there. Then, to further compound the problem, rather than taking the advice of his other cellmate named "Morgan" (Chester Morris), Kent decides to become a snitch and reports everything he hears to the warden as well--and this results in dire consequences for all concerned. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that, all things considered, this turned out to be a pretty good prison film. I especially liked the acting of Wallace Beery who played his part to near perfection. Admittedly, the film definitely showed its age but, even so, I enjoyed it for the most part, and I have rated it accordingly. Above average.
Hei dian (1972)
A Tavern Run by Cannibals and Harboring Thieves
This film begins with several various characters being served food and drinks in a popular tavern somewhere in China. During this time a "wandering monk" (played by Dean Shek) comes in and, while begging for money to buy food, tells a story about a wealthy government official named "Hai Gangfeng" (Yeung Chi-heng) who is traveling in that vicinity and carrying a chest full of money and precious gems with him. This immediately draws the attention of everyone there and, one by one, they each slip out of the tavern as quietly as possible to avoid detection by those who remain. The scene then shifts to another tavern located out in the country which is run by a small family of cannibals. And it's at this tavern that all of the characters from the previous scene begin to filter in--and each one of them is determined to have the treasure being carried by Hai Gangfeng. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this film was a spin-off of sorts to the movie "The Lady Hermit" which was produced a year earlier in 1971. Anyway, as mentioned earlier, this film has a great deal of action which should please those who enjoy martial arts films of this sort. Unfortunately, with few exceptions, most of the actors suffered from a lack of character development and, as a result, they all seem rather shallow and forgettable. But that's just my opinion. In any case, although I don't consider this to be one of the better martial arts films ever made, it still passed the time well enough, and I have rated it accordingly. Average.
Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991)
Somewhat Uneven but Okay for the Time Spent
This film begins with a divorced mother of five by the name of "Mrs. Crandell" (Concetta Tomei) advising her children to be on their best behavior while she goes on vacation with her boyfriend to Australia. At first, all of the children believe that they will be left on their own, but they are quickly surprised when an old lady by the name "Mrs. Sturak" (Eda Reiss Merin) shows up and announces that she is their new babysitter. But their initial surprise soon turns to complete shock when they realize just how strict Mrs. Sturak can be. That is, until they find that Mrs. Sturak has died during the night of a heart attack, and that they are now free to do whatever they please. At least, they are free until the money runs out--which turns out to be much sooner than they expect. So, in desperation, they all turn to their oldest sister, "Sue Ellen Crandell" (Christina Applegate) to get a job before they starve to death. What neither they nor Sue Ellen realize, however, is just how difficult life can be in the real world. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was a rather uneven film which started off slow and only got entertaining about halfway through when the focus centered primarily on Christina Applegate as she basically carried this film all by herself. At least, that is how it seemed to me. Be that as it may, while I certainly don't consider this to be a great comedy by any means, I suppose it passed the time well enough, and I have rated it accordingly. Average.
Darkness of Man (2024)
Limited by Poor Direction and a Lack of Realism
After an informant by the name of "Esther" (Chika Kanamoto) dies while in protective custody, the Interpol agent responsible for her safety named "Russell Hatch" (Jean-Claude Van Damme) takes it upon himself to fulfil a promise he made to her to protect her son "Jayden" (Emerson Min) from the bad elements that surround him. The problem, however, is that Jayden lives with his Korean relatives who are involved in the illegal drug trade and the Russian mob is doing everything it can to muscle in on their territory. To that effect, Russell has to try to calmly navigate between these two groups in order to keep things peaceful, while at the same time, Jayden's uncle "Dae Hun" (Peter Jae) is doing his best to stir things up. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that, although the plot had definite possibilities, the overall direction left much to be desired. For starters, I didn't especially care for the narration provided by Jean-Claude Van Damme as it detracted from the movie rather than actually enhancing the overall effect. Likewise, having the main character sustain so many serious injuries within a limited span of time, only to engage in repeated fights to the death not long afterward, really strained all sense of reality. Only in Hollywood. Be that as it may, while I don't consider this to be a terribly bad film necessarily, it didn't quite realize its true potential, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.
The Purple Vigilantes (1938)
The Three Mesquiteers Versus the Purple Vigilantes
This film essentially begins in the small town of Trails End with an influential man named "David Ross" (Earl Dwire) gathering some local citizens to form a vigilante group with the intention of chasing out some of the less desirable people who have been causing problems. To aid in this project, David calls upon the Three Mesquiteers to help him out. Sure enough, the plan works out and the town quickly returns to normal. Unfortunately, having seen how powerful a vigilante gang can be, one particularly unscrupulous individual decides to take it a step further and use the idea to extort innocent people of their livelihoods--and then shift the blame to David Ross for ulterior purposes. Even worse, in order to protect his reputation, the Three Mesquiteers only make things that much worse. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was a solid addition to the Three Mesquiteer series which focused a bit more heavily on "Stony Brooke" (Robert Livingstone) than his other two comrades. And that's fine. In any case, while this certainly wasn't the best in the series, it passed the time well enough, and I have rated it accordingly. Average.
Amityville: Mt. Misery Rd. (2018)
Not Ready for Prime Time
This film essentially begins with a self-professed ghost enthusiast in Florida by the name of "Charlie" (Chuck Morrongiello) receiving a letter from a good friend with pictures of some strange paranormal orbs found alongside an abandoned path known as Mt. Misery Road in Long Island, New York. Quite excited about this discovery, Charlie immediately shows the picture to his attractive girlfriend "Buzi" (Karolina Morrongiello) who is equally intrigued and together they decide to travel Long Island to check it out. Prior to going, however, they visit a local bar and, while there they come across a stranger who advises them to stay away from Mt. Misery Road at all costs. Oblivious to his warnings, they catch the morning flight out anyway. The next morning, they visit a local historian who also warns them not to go. Yet in spite of these warnings, they remain unconvinced and visit the haunted area all the same. What they don't realize, however, is what awaits them once they finally arrive. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this would have been a fine. Low-budget, do-it-yourself home video which would have certainly won high marks as a college or film school project. It does not, unfortunately, meet the high standards normally required for a movie of this sort, and I have rated it accordingly.
Sorority Party Massacre (2012)
A Horror-Comedy Lacking Both Horror and Comedy
This film begins with an attractive college student by the name of "Holly Fanning" (Casey Fitzgerald) getting lost while driving to a small lakeside town in California where she hopes to participate in a sorority contest. Unfortunately for her, while trying to ask for help at a remote house, she encounters a serial killer who murdering his victims in unique and horrible ways. The scene then shifts to Los Angeles with Holly's father, "Captain Dan Fanning" (Kevin Sorbo) of the Los Angeles Police Department, asking one of his agents named "Detective William Watts" (Thomas Downey) to go to that small lakeside town to investigate his daughter's disappearance. Upon getting there, however, Detective Watts soon realizes that, not only is the local constable "Sheriff Barney P. Lumpkin" (Ed O'Ross) totally incompetent, but that a serial killer has been operating there for years without anybody even noticing it. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that, although this movie started off reasonably well, it started to unravel about halfway through--and then completely fell apart at the end. To that effect, if it was intended to be a comedy, it wasn't funny. Conversely, if it was intended to be a horror film, it lacked any real horror as well. That being said, I consider this to be one of those films that could have been better with competent direction but, failing that, I have to rated it accordingly. Below average.
The Criminal Code (1930)
A Good Prison Film in Spite of Its Age
This film essentially begins with a young man by the name of "Robert Graham" (Phillips Holmes) being arrested for a drunken brawl that occurred at a local nightclub which ends up with the victim of the assault being killed. Although he didn't provoke the fight nor intended an serious harm to the victim, Robert is tried and sentenced to 10 years in prison all the same. To that effect, several years pass by with Robert more and more affected by his miserable circumstances. Then one day, to his surprise, the district attorney responsible for his prison sentence named "Mark Brady" (Walter Huston) is assigned as the new warden--and coming with him is his daughter "Mary Brady" (Constance Cummings) who quickly Robert's only ray of sunshine. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this turned out to be a pretty good prison film--in spite of its age. I especially liked the way film captured the harsh prison environment without getting too coarse or vulgar in the process. Likewise, I also liked the performances of both Boris Karloff (as Robert's cellmate "Galloway") and, to a lesser extent Otto Hoffman ("Jim Fales) as well. Be that as it may, while I freely admit that this film is quite old, I still enjoyed it quite a bit, and I have rated it accordingly. Above average.
Zhong kui niang zi (1971)
An Old-Style Martial Arts Film
This film essentially begins with a young woman by the name of "Cui Ping" (Szu Shih) walking into a small village to inquire about the location of a legendary martial arts master known only as the Lady Hermit. While there she notices a man being robbed of his valuables and immediately takes action to stop it. Although somewhat disappointed in not being able to find who she is looking for, she eventually takes up temporary residence at the local school of martial arts where she meets two particular people who live there as well. The first is a young man named "Wu Chang Chun" (Lieh Lo) who seems to be quite friendly. The second is a woman by the name of "Shang Yu-ling" (Pei-Pei Cheng) who works there as a maid. The next morning, having heard that the Lady Hermit might be at a temple in the next town, Cui Ping decides to check it out. When she gets there, however, she discovers that the people claiming to work for the Lady Hermit are part of an extortion scheme which the local villagers pay out of fear of being killed. Puzzled by this, she tells Shang Yu-ling who suggests that perhaps the name of the Lady Hermit has been misappropriated and she isn't really there at all. So, with that in mind, both Cui Ping and Wu Chang Chun decide to go there that night to investigate even further. But this time, she encounters disciples of an evil man known as the "Black Demon" (Hsieh Wang) who Cui Ping has sworn to kill upon sight. To that effect, a fight soon breaks out with both Cui Ping and Wu Chang Chun badly outnumbered. Fortunately for them, the real Lady Hermit-who is none other than Shang Yu-ling-- arrives and saves them both. The problem, however, is that the Black Demon also knows where his main nemesis now lives, and he is determined to kill the Lady Hermit at all costs. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an entertaining martial arts film which benefited from a decent plot and lots of action. Admittedly, although I would have preferred a bit more focus on the overall plot at times, I still found this to be an entertaining martial arts film, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.
17 Again (2009)
A Man Given the Opportunity to Relive His High School Glory Days
This film begins with a high school basketball star named "Mike O'Donnell" (Zac Efron) being told by his girlfriend "Scarlet Porter" (Allison Miller) that she is pregnant. To that effect, he puts everything aside to start a family life. Eighteen years later, Mike (now played by Matthew Perry) has become quite bitter--so much so that Scarlett (now played by Leslie Mann) has taken all she can stand and has filed for divorce. Understandably distraught by this news, Mike is subsequently compelled to move in with his wealthy--but exceedingly eccentric--friend "Ned Gold" (Thomas Lennon) prior to everything being finalized. Not long afterward, however, after trying to save a person from committing suicide, Mike is magically transformed into his 17-year-old self--and is allowed to essentially take up where he left off so many years earlier. The problem, however, is that upon registering at his old high school, he discovers that his teenage son and daughter need a father figure present in their lives--before it's too late and their lives are completely ruined. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that, despite the fact that there are a number of films with a similar plot, this turned out to be a rather good picture all the same. I especially liked the performance of Thomas Lennon who had a couple of scenes that were absolutely hilarious. Admittedly, there were a few scenes that could have used a bit more comedy here and there, but even so, I still enjoyed this movie for the most part, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.
Black Swarm (2007)
Ruined by Too Many Subplots
This film essentially begins with a relatively young widow by the name of "Jane Kozik" (Sarah Allen) returning to her old home town of Black Stone, New York, after being gone for almost 10 years. Also with her is her daughter "Kelsey Kozik" (Rebecca Windheim) who has never lived there but, having been raised in New York City, is somewhat curious what life in a small town is like. For her part, Jane has mixed feelings about returning but, since she works in law enforcement, feels that this is the best place for her. The scene then shifts to a man by the name of "Devin Hall" (Sebastian Roberts) who works as an exterminator in Black Stone and has recently been informed about a strange new type of wasp which has suddenly migrated into the town and has caused the death of at least one of its citizens. Although he is not overly alarmed at first, he soon begins to realize that this new wasp is much more dangerous than anything he has ever encountered before. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that, although this film certainly had potential, it soon became rather difficult to watch due to the number of unnecessary subplots all along the way. Perhaps if the director (David Winning) had focused more heavily on the wasp-riddled zombies--or possibly just the swarms of wasps attacking everyone--the film could have been salvaged. Unfortunately, this was not the case, and I have rated this movie accordingly. Below average.
Wild Horse Rodeo (1937)
A Solid Entry into the "Three Mesquiteers" Series
This film essentially begins with a cowboy by the name of "Stony Brooke" (Robert Livingston) receiving a telegram from his good friend "Tucson Smith" (Ray Corrigan) that a wild range fire has devastated the grassland on their ranch. So, in desperate need of money to help feed their cattle, Stony persuades a traveling rodeo investor to advance him $1000 in exchange for his promise to capture a wild stallion named "Cyclone" which has captured everyone's imagination. Unfortunately, rather than being supportive of this news, Tucson expresses his concern due to the fact a young lady he's attracted to named "Alice Hartley" (June Martel) has expressed a great fondness for the wild horse and doesn't want him captured. To make matters even worse, once she meets Stony, Alice falls in love with him instead of Tucson. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was a rather solid entry into the "Three Mesquiteers" series due in large part to the romantic angle within the overall plot. Likewise, if one pays close attention, they will notice that Roy Rogers makes a brief appearance in a singing role as well. Be that as it may, while I don't necessarily consider this to be a great Western by any means, it was certainly not inferior to most of the other films in this series, and I have rated it accordingly. Average.
The Amityville Murders (2018)
A Remake of the 1982 Prequel
This film essentially begins a couple of weeks before a young man named "Ronald 'Butch' DeFeo Jr." (played by John Robinson) kills his parents and all four siblings with a rifle he claims was given to him by an evil entity within the house in Amityville, New York. Just prior to the killings, the film incorporates a number of scenes in which Butch DeFeo's father "Ronnie DeFeo Sr." (Paul Ben-Victor) physically abuses his son on a number of occasions. And it's primarily for this reason that Butch becomes heavily involved in drugs--which further hastens his mental and emotional decline into complete insanity. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this film is basically a remake of the prequel known as "Amityville II-The Possession" produced back in 1982. Unlike that movie, however, this film doesn't quite have the same creepy atmosphere due to the primary focus being on drug abuse over that of an evil presence within the house. Having said that, while this film is definitely better than a number of others in this series, I don't consider it to be on the same level as the 1982 film, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.
Spring Break Massacre (2008)
When Delivering Pizza Doesn't Pay
Framed for a murder he didn't commit, "Stanley Peterson" (Curtis Taylor) is tried and sentenced to 15 years in prison while the real murderer escapes justice. Nine years later, Stanley escapes from prison with the help of an unidentified killer and is rumored to be heading back to the same small town in Illinois where he supposedly committed his crime. Meanwhile, several young ladies in that same town decide to celebrate their first day of Spring Break by having a slumber party at the home of their friend "Heather Kilbourne" (Sarah Minnich). Needless to say, their boyfriends don't like the idea of being left alone, so they decide to play a prank on them late at night--and that's when the killings begin. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this particularly movie didn't offer anything that was really new or terribly exciting, as the overall plot has been done more than a few times in the past. And while it does feature several attractive female actresses like Leann Van Mol (as 'Tara"), Aly Hartman ("Zoe"), Renee Darmiento ("Laurie") and the aforementioned Sarah Minnich, none of them were given much of a script to really demonstrate their abilities. But then, that's rather typical of movies of this sort anyway. What really made matters worse, however, was the low-budget nature of the film which permeated everything from start-to-finish. That being said, while I don't consider this to be the worst film of its type, it still left much to be desired, and I have rated it accordingly. Below average.
Torn Between Two Lovers (1979)
A Woman in Love with Two Different Men
Based on the 1979 song by the same name, a married woman by the name of "Diana Conti" (Lee Remick) becomes anxious to learn that her flight from New York to Chicago has been cancelled due to bad weather and she is stuck at the airport until the weather improves. While there she meets a kind stranger named "Paul Rasmussen" (George Peppard) who escorts her to the VIP lounge where she is not only able to use the telephone to call her husband but is also made much more comfortable while the two of them wait for the weather to clear. Although the two become quite attracted to one another, they eventually part ways without any romantic entanglements for her to regret. Things change, however, when she meets Paul again in Chicago--and the deeper in love she falls with him, the more she realizes that she will eventually have to make a choice between him and her husband "Ted Conti" (Joseph Bologna). Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that I remember the song by Mary MacGregor when it first came out, but I had no idea a movie had been made based upon it until very recently. That being said, like most movies based on songs, I didn't expect too much from this film. Surprisingly, it wasn't too bad due in large part to the solid acting of both Lee Remick and George Peppard who played their roles quite well. Likewise, having an attractive actress like the aforementioned Lee Remick certainly didn't hurt the rather drab scenery either. Be that as it may, while certainly not a great romantic drama by any means, I suppose it passed the time well enough, and I have rated it accordingly. Average.