Wednesday, 5 September 2018
The Two Faces of January (2014)
A con artist, his wife, and a stranger flee Athens after one of them is caught up in the death of a private detective.
Solid Highsmith adaptation with a touch of Hitchcock, nice settings and a good cast for the complicated mindgame play.
Tuesday, 4 September 2018
Peaky Blinders, Season 3 (2016)
Series 3 begins with the long-anticipated wedding of Thomas Shelby, where his family find themselves in danger of a mysterious guest. Tommy dives into a mission of intrigue, finding himself in situations more deadly than anything he has come across before.
The expansion of the Peaky Blinders saga (and empire) is as compelling and fascinating as ever, although the Russian conspiracy and jewelry heist is complex and difficult to follow.
Monday, 3 September 2018
Odd Thomas (2013)
In a California desert town, a short-order cook with clairvoyant abilities encounters a mysterious man with a link to dark, threatening forces.
Oddly unbalanced horror comedy-drama that doesn't quite spark either laughs nor scares; and the funereal twist after the finale is downright disappointing.
Maltin**1/2: "Eerie effects, a thriller finale, and a soulful denouement make a fine sit. Fans will applaud the writer-director's adaptation of a 2003 novel by Dean Koontz, whose branded blend of banter and terror is well replicated. Nonfans, though, will be lost."
Sunday, 2 September 2018
The Fog (2005)
A thick mist full of vengeful spirits haunts a prosperous island town off the coast of Oregon, as its inhabitants try to learn their town's dark secret in order to stop it.
Why do a remake of the John Carpenter movie, which itself wasn't really a masterpiece, is beyond me. Since this one is hardly a mediocre effort I'm listing it under the things one needn't see.
On rewatching: I should have read my own review first.
Maltin*1/2: "Lame remake...alters the plot slightly but is no improvement."
Saturday, 1 September 2018
Lake Placid (1999)
Three people attempt to stop a gigantic crocodile, who is terrorizing residents in Black Lake, Maine.
Slightly amusing, tongue-in-cheek monster with a star cast doesn't want be taken seriously, and one shouldn't.
Halliwell (no star): "A cheapjack horror movie that puts the emphasis on jokes, but a few good one-liners are not enough to enliven so much predictability."
Maltin**: "David E. Kelley, writing down to the material, provides lots of wisecracks, but few scares. Brief but tiresome film tries - but fails - to be a monster movie and environmentally correct at the same time."
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