Now here is one grisly item. Saw is the perfect retaliation to the recent onslaught of PG-13 fluff horror flicks, and will probably amount to being the most sick and disturbing film of the year. The premise is simple, but effective. Two strangers, Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Elwes) and Adam (Whannell),… Continue reading
Collateral takes a premise that is otherwise flawed and makes it into one of the most compelling films of the summer. Now that takes skill, and leave it to director Michael Mann and a solid cast to get the job done. At the beginning of the film we meet Max… Continue reading
We are informed at the beginning of Man On Fire that there is a kidnapping in Latin America every sixty minutes, and 70% of those kidnapped do not survive. These are frightening statistics indeed, but also set the tone for the gritty and grim Man On Fire. Following in the… Continue reading
I have always had a weakness for films about gambling. They always make it look so easy to win hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars in one night. It is a dream that many of us often, including me. Shade continues that tradition, and this is a sleeper… Continue reading
Commando. That’s what I kept thinking about during The Punisher, the newest arrival off the comic book adaptation factory belt. You know, the 1985 Arnold Schwarzenegger action-fest where he has to rescue little Alissa Milano from the bad guys. The difference is that Commando knew it was bad. The Punisher… Continue reading
I am going to be deliberately vague in my plot synopsis of Spartan, as there are enough twists and turns in this film alone for five movies. Giving it away would be nothing short of a crime. A prominent political figure’s daughter has gone missing. We know it is the… Continue reading
Walking Tall, at the very least, can turn in its claim ticket as the silliest movie of the new year. The ever-popular words “Inspired By A True Story” open the film, and while I can believe the basic story is real, the action is all-out ridiculous. Seeing The Rock walking… Continue reading
Elephant, directed by Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting), is one of the most daring and ultimately chilling films that I have seen of late. It tackles the topic of school shootings with no fear, and the end result is a film without any easy answers, or answers at all.… Continue reading
Here we go again…another Ashley Judd murder/mystery. After High Crimes, Double Jeopardy, Eye of the Beholder, and Kiss the Girls, Judd is back in action in Twisted. She plays Jessica Shepard, a cop who has just been promoted after subduing a rapist. Most proud of her is John Mills (Jackson),… Continue reading
Mystic River is a film of extraordinary acting. The acting in this film is so good that it at times overshadows the plot line, which is both engaging and at times bogged down. In all it leads to an ending which is confusing and seemingly out of place. The film… Continue reading