The Christmas Chronicles 2 (2020)

 Genre: Christmas
Directed by: Chris Columbus
Cast: Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, Darby Camp 

Running Time: 115 minutes

 

Now a teenager, Katy Pierce is none too happy about spending the holidays in Mexico with her mom and older brother, and her mom’s new boyfriend and his son. Upset with the situation, Katy decides to run away and she ends up involved, with her new stepbrother, Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, in an effort to foil a disgruntled elf’s plan to ultimately end Christmas forever.

This is a decent follow up to the first film in this series. Some of the magic may be gone, but the on-screen chemistry between Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn is a big part of what made this movie better than it actually is. Darby Camp and Jahzir Bruno both do a good job too. This is very cheesy and goes overly long, but it is fun and entertaining as a Christmas product.

Rating: «««

The Strangers (2008)

 Genre: Horror
Directed by: Bryan Bertino
Starring: Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, Gemma Ward
Running time: 85 minutes

 

Kristen McKay and James Hoyt are driving to the Hoyt summer home after attending a wedding. This was supposed to be a romantic getaway after James proposed to Kristen, but she turned him down and they are both trying to cope with what comes next. Later that evening, James and Kristen realize that a group of strangers have decided to terrorize them, with clear intentions of infiltrating the house.

Inspired by a few true crime stories, this filmmaker does a good job building tension throughout. Unfortunately, it all fizzles in the end, leaving the viewer disappointed. The acting was decent, and there were some genuinely scary moments, but The Strangers failed to deliver the right punch out.

Rating: ««

The Mule (2018)

 
Genre: Drama
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Bradley Cooper, Lawrence Fishburne 

Running time: 116 minutes

 

Earl Stone is an award winning horticulturist in his 80’s with a strained relationship with his family. Badly strapped for cash, Earl becomes a courier for a local drug cartel, with the thought that a man that age will never look suspicious to the authorities.

I am a big fan of Clint Eastwood. As a director, he has a knack for picking compelling stories and telling them with a lot of aptitude on screen. As an actor, even in the later years of his life, he can still convey emotions and make you believe his character is real. In The Mule, he has both hats and he wears them well.

Eastwood also knows how to surround himself with talented people. It was the case again here.

The Mule is a very good film. A few weaker moments, but, overall, I loved it so very much.

Rating: ««««

Airplane! (1980)

 Genre: Comedy
Directed by: David Zucker, Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams
Starring: Robert Hays, Julie Haggerty, Leslie Nielsen 

Running time: 87 minutes

 

Ted Striker, a shell shocked army pilot turned taxi driver, gets over his fear of flying to get on a flight from LA to Chicago and win back the love of his flight attendant girlfriend. After the meal is served, many passengers and the flight crew fall ill due to severe food poisoning. Ted Striker now becomes the only viable option to safely land that plane,

This is a classic parody comedy that has endured the test of time. Sure, in 2020, this film might offend many people, as it is very politically incorrect. Taken as a product of its time, it is laugh out loud funny. It is over-the-top, but the whole cast is solid here. And so much comedy magic in the lines and in the delivery.

I love this movie so very much. Yes, I am serious…and don’t call me Shirley.

Rating: «««««

Ronin (1998)

 Genre: Thriller / Action
Directed by: John Frankenheimer
Starring: Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natasha McElhone 

 Running time: 141 minutes

 

A group of hired guns former special operatives who do not know each other are recruited for a very mysterious mission. They have to retrieve a heavily-guarded briefcase in what becomes a maze in which loyalty is a very fragile thing.

With an ensemble cast of talented actors and a riveting storyline, this is a very good action film. The story could have become much too convoluted for its good, but the direction kept everything in reigns. Overall, a very good film.

Rating: ««««

Pet Sematary (1989)

 Genre: Horror
Directed by: Mary Lambert
Cast: Dale Midkiff, Fred Gwynne, Denise Crosby 

Time: 103 minutes

 

The Creed family – Doctor Louis, his wife Rachel and their two young kids – move from Chicago to the little town of Ludlow, Maine. While venturing in the wooded area behind their house, the family come upon a mysterious pet cemetery. When the family cat gets run over by a truck, a well-meaning neighbor shares a dark secret with Louis, a secret that soon unleashes a nightmare.

Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, this film offers decent entertainment. There are some good scary material here, but it feels like some of the magic of the book might have been lost on film.

Rating: «««

Clear and Present Danger (1994)

 
Genre: Thriller / Action
Directed by: Phillip Noyce
Starring: Harrison Ford, Willem Dafoe, Anne Archer 

Running time: 141 minutes

 

Jack Ryan is now CIA acting Deputy Director (Intelligence) and he discovers a covert war being waged by colleagues against a Columbian drug cartel. This covert war seems to be happening with the knowledge of the US president.

This is the third installment in the Jack Ryan franchise inspired by the Tom Clancy novels. Quite honestly, this film never really hooked me in. It was too long, the story was complex and not very compelling, and I just tuned out. A few good elements caught my eye, but so very little.

Rating: ««

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

 
Genre: Superhero
Directed by: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista 

Running time: 137 minutes

 

Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Baby Groot are going around the universe getting into trouble. Peter Quill finally finds his dad, but the meeting might not be quite what he was hoping for.

The best part of this film, to me, is the music. The use of well-known songs is a great addition to make up for a genre that is not necessarily my cup of tea. That being said, there also were quite a few lines throughout the movie that made me laugh. I particularly enjoy Dave Bautista’s work as Drax.

While this film is overly long for what it has to offer and it was a little too cartoonish for me, I was still somewhat entertained by it all.

Rating: «««

Bringing Ashley Home (2011)

 Genre: Drama
Directed by: Nick Copus
Starring: AJ Cook, Jennifer Morrison, Patricia Richardson 

 Running time: 87 minutes

 

Based on a true story, this TV movie tells the story of Libba Phillips, a young woman who goes to extreme lengths to find her sister Ashley, a drug addict also suffering from bipolar disorder, after she disappears without a trace.

For a made-for-TV movie, this was not bad at all. The story was compelling and the acting was decent. It dragged a bit in the middle, like the actual case I suppose, but I still managed to stay interested in the outcome, that was not Hollywoodian to say the least.

Rating: «««

Les Affamés (2017)

 Genre: Franco / Horror
Réalisateur: Robin Aubert
Distribution: Marc-André Grondin, Monia Chokri, Brigitte Poupart 

Running time: 96 minutes

 

Les résidents d’un petit village du Québec rural sont aux prises avec des créatures de formes humaines s’apparentant à des zombies et ils doivent tout faire pour survivre sans se faire mordre à leur tour et joindre les rangs de ces créatures infectées et infectieuses.

Je trouvais très intéressant de voir un Québécois s’attaquer au genre qu’est le film de zombie, tout en tentant de le dépoussiérer et de le réinventer un peu. Je trouvais aussi intéressant que cela serve à jeter un regard critique sur la société actuelle. Je me disais que, si quelqu’un pouvait le faire, c’était bien le réalisateur Robin Aubert.

Dans la réalité, ce film m’a laissé un peu sur mon appétit. De bons moments, quelques bonnes répliques, un regard critique à souhait sur la réalité, mais beaucoup de vide. À mon humble avis, il manquait un petit quelque chose.

Rating: «««

Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)

 Genre: Horror
Directed by: Rob Hedden
Starring: Jensen Daggett, Scott Reeves, Peter Mark Richman, Kane Hodder 

 Running time: 100 minutes

 

Jason Voorheers is once again brought back to life from the bottom of the sea. This time, he infiltrates a cruise ship filled with a group of graduating seniors on a trip to New York City with two teachers serving as chaperones.

This one is a total waste of time. Even the characters you are supposed to root for are so annoying that you just cannot do it. You just want Jason to finish the job quick and get it over with. And that was the longest film of that franchise at that point. The story labors along aimlessly, with no sense of direction to it. At the end, you almost want Jason to kill you too, for daring to watch this cinematic juiceless lemon.

Rating: «

Friday the 13th Part VII: New Blood (1988)

 Genre: Horror
Directed by: John Carl Buechler
Starring: Lar Park Lincoln, Kevin Blair, Susan Blu, Kane Hodder 

Running time: 88 minutes

 

Tina Shephard is a teenage girl with kinetic powers whose outburst, years before caused her alcoholic father’s death. Years later, she goes back to where it happened, Crystal Lake, with her mother and her doctor, hoping to learn to cope better with inadvertently causing her father’s demise. While on the waterfront, Tina accidently brings back Jason Voorhees to life. Jason goes back on a killing spree, attacking a group of teenagers having a party nearby, Tina and her entourage.

At this point, the ways to bring Jason back to life were getting sillier and sillier. Unfortunately, compared to the previous film, the acting and the interesting storyline were not there to save the day. The acting felt uninspired and the story was a mess. There were a few cool spots, but it mostly felt like an excuse to rehash something.

Rating: ««

Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)

 

Genre: Horror
Directed by: Tom McLoughlin
Starring: Thom Matthews, Jennifer Cooke, David Kagen
Running time: 87 minutes

 

A few years after the traumatic events at the halfway house where he lives, Tommy Jarvis travels back to Crystal Lake to dig up Jason Voorhees’ body. His plan is to destroy the corpse, to cure himself from those nightmares he still has about Jason. In an electrical storm, things go awry and the monster is brought back to life. In his efforts to stop his enemy once and for all, Tommy has to also contend with a skeptical sheriff and the law man’s rebellious daughter.

With this sixth installment in the franchise, it all took a turn for the supernatural. Bringing back Jason to life was the thing to do, if you were to continue the franchise after the debacle of chapter 5, but I found the way it was done a little silly.

Nonetheless, the acting was much better here than in the previous film, and the story was entertaining. It was a fun film, that incorporated some elements that were a bit more modern, like care chases. The music was also good.

Rating: «««

Dark Crimes (2016)

 

Genre: Drama
Directed by: Alexandros Avanas
Starring: Jim Carrey, Marton Csokas, Charlotte Gainsbourg
Running time: 92 minutes

 

While investigating the murder of a businessman, a detective named Tadek starts seeing resemblances between that case and the work of a novel author named Kozlov. Tadek starts digging deeper and deeper into that case, at the detriment of his personal life.

I hated that film. The story had potential, but the pace was so slow and the tone made it all so heavy and dry that it was hard to stay interested in it all. I have been a Jim Carrey fan since I was a teenager, all through various cinematic experiments, and I can say that this is the first film involving him that I absolutely loathed. Some were not as good, but this bad; it is a first. He seemed out of place, and the rest of the acting performances were not any more inspired. This film should be avoided, unless morbid curiosity is your thing.

Rating: «

Le Matou (1985)

 

Genre: Franco / Drama
Réalisateur: Jean Beaudin
Distribution: Serge Dupire, Monique Spaziani, Jean Carmet, Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge 

Running time: 141 minutes

 

Florent Boissonneault est un jeune homme plein d’ambition qui rêve d’opérer un restaurant avec sa femme Élise. Son rêve devient réalité, avec l’aide d’un mystérieux vieillard nommé Egon Ratablavasky. Était-ce trop beau pour être vrai, et le rêve deviendra-t-il un cauchemar. Florent et Élise verront aussi entrer dans leur vie un garçon nommé Monsieur Émile et son matou.

Ce classique du cinéma québécois demeure très touchant malgré le passage des années. Le jeu des acteurs est solide et la réalisation est réussie. Il y a quelques longueurs et quelques détours boiteux dans l’histoire, mais j’ai beaucoup aimé revoir ce film après toutes ces décennies passées.

Rating: ««««

Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)

 
Genre: Horror
Directed by: Danny Steinmann
Starring: John Shepherd, Melanie Kinnaman, Shavar Ross 

Running time: 92 minutes

 

Years after killing Jason Voorhees as a 12 year old boy, Tommy Jarvis is still haunted by nightmares from his encounter with the serial killer. Tommy is transferred to a halfway house, where he lives with a group of teens and young adults. When a new masked killer taking the mask and identity of Voorhees comes around, people start dying again.

That movie was the point where they took the franchise too far. It should have ended with the fourth film. In number five, the acting was bad, the story was pointless and the whole thing was a mess. It was overloaded with pointless nudity to try and compensate, but that sure was not enough to make this film even a little enjoyable.

Rating: «

 

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: Joseph Zito

Starring: Kimberly Beck, Peter Barton, Corey Feldman, Crispin Glover 
Running time: 91 minutes

 

Left for dead on the grounds of Higgins Haven, the body of Jason Voorhees is brought to the morgue. He comes back to life and kills the doctor and nurse guarding his body and then makes his way back to Crystal Lake, where he goes after a group of partying youngsters and the family of Trish Jarvis, her younger brother Tommy and their mom.

In my humble opinion, this is the best movie in the franchise. The acting was good, with such names as Corey Feldman and Crispin Glover added to the mix. The storyline was interesting, and a good job was done at building tension. A lot of effort was put in the cat-and-mouse chases. You knew bad stuff was going to happen, but you had to wait and wait for it, building expectations until delivery.

Had the franchise ended here, it would have had a great ending.

Rating: ««««

Friday the 13th Part III (1982)

 

Genre: Horror
Directed by: Steve Miner
Starring: Dana Kimmell, Paul Krafka, Tracie Savage 

 Running time: 95 minutes

 

After the events of the second film, an injured Jason Voorhees take refuge in the area near Crystal Lake. He kills a store owner and his wife for a change of clothes. When Chris Higgins and a group of her friends come to the area for a weekend away of partying and fun, Jason goes back on the hunt trying to kill them off one by one.

This is the first film where Jason Voorhees appears with the infamous hockey mask, that became a huge part of his look and of the mystique of the franchise. What a great choice it was. In the second film, Jason looked a scared kid sneaking around. Here, he looks like a true monster and like a dangerous predator. In terms of horror movie effectiveness, it was a solid move.

With this third installment in the franchise, they also managed to write better material and to have better actors to deliver it on screen. Overall, this is a very entertaining horror movie.

Rating: ««««

Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: Steve Miner
Starring: Adrienne King, Amy Steel, John Furey

Running time: 87 minutes

 

Five years after the events of the first film, a group of camp counsellors are back to Crystal Lake for some training. Unfortunately for them, Jason is still around ready to kill them off one by one, if they are not careful.

This sequel to the original quickly ties off the bow of the first film and then moves on to the next story. Slowly, we see more and more of Jason. He is slowly morphing from invisible to visible killer, though he still does not have the hockey mask that would become an integral part of his look.

The acting is a little better, though not that much. The story feels more adult, with nudity and all, and seeing the killer is a big plus. It is still cheesy and over-the-top by today’s standards, but, as a product of its time, it is still entertaining, though trying to repeat the end shocker a second time was not as fresh as the first time.

Rating: «««

Friday the 13th (1980)

 

Genre: Horror
Directed by: Sean S. Cunningham
Starring: Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, Kevin Bacon 

 Running time: 95 minutes

 

A group of counsellors are trying to reopen the abandoned summer camp called Crystal Lake, where some terrible things happened decades earlier. As they are making final preparations before opening, on Friday the 13^th, they are picked out one by one and killed by a mysterious unseen killer.

This was the start of the movie franchise involving the character of Jason. It is a movie franchise that many will accuse of overstaying its welcome. In this first film, we never really see the character of Jason. We just see the killings from the killer's point of view.

The acting is mostly quite bad here. It is a very cheesy and dated flick. It was nice, though, to see a young Kevin Bacon at work. The most effective element here is the music. It makes the whole film feel scarier than it really is. That fight involving Jason’s mother towards the end was cheesy beyond belief, but that scene with Alice on the boat after that was a nice shocker.

 Rating: ««

Patriot Games (1992)

 

Genre: Thriller / Action
Directed by: Phillip Noyce
Starring: Harrison Ford, Anne Archer, Sean Bean 

Running time: 117 minutes

 While on vacation in London with his family, retired CIA analyst Jack Ryan intervenes in an assassination attempt on Lord William Holmes, by a splinter cell of the Provisional Irish Republican Army. In the process, Ryan kills one of the attackers, sending the fallen man’s brother on a hunt against the retired CIA analyst and his family, while the cell of the IRA focuses on carrying their mission towards the royal.

This is the second movie with the Jack Ryan character, after Hunt for the Red October. Still based on a Tom Clancy novel. Patriot Games has been criticized for straying away from the book, but, in itself, it is a very interesting action/thriller film. The story is compelling and the acting is good. Overall, a fun piece of cinema.

Rating: ««««

Being There (1979)

 Genre: Comedy / Drama
Directed by: Hal Ashby
Starring: Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas 

Running time: 130 minutes

 

Chance is a middle-aged simple-minded man living in the house of an older gentleman. Having never left that property, he spends his time working in the garden and watching television. When his benefactor dies, Chance has to leave the property with no ID and just one suitcase. After getting his leg injured by a backing car, the simpleton ends up in the mansion of an aging business mogul and his younger wife, where Chance manages to become a close council of the US president, despite the fact that the little knowledge he has he took from watching television.

This film is a brilliantly smart political satire that feels very actual, I must say. Peter Sellers is absolutely wonderful in the lead role. He makes you believe that character is real and not just the work of an actor. The supporting cast is also very solid.

I absolutely loved this gem of a movie. Great material that benefits from wonderful acting performances and masterful directing.

 Rating: «««««

A Walk in the Woods (2015)

 
Genre: Biographical / Comedy / Drama
Directed by: Ken Kwapis
Starring: Robert Redford, Nick Nolte, Emma Thompson 

 Running time: 194 minutes

 

Bill Bryson is an American author who returned to New Hampshire after spending a decade in the UK. Now in his 60’s, existential questions rise within him after attending the funeral of a friend. He decides to undertake the crossing of the Appalachian Trail, to the great dismay of his wife. Wanting to appease his worried wife, who doesn’t want him to make that trip alone, he looks for a friend willing to accompany him. The only one who wants to do it is a long-lost friend Stephen Katz, an aging recovering alcoholic with a temperament much different from Bryson’s.

This film is based on the memoirs written by Bill Bryson himself. It is a compelling tale that benefits greatly from the on-screen chemistry between Redford and Nolte. The supporting cast, on the other hand, was not given much and felt like an after-thought, considering the talent involved.

While interesting, this story lacked some elements, to make the whole thing more cohesive. It was still entertaining, albeit not without flaws.

Rating: «««

Would You Rather (2012)

 
Genre: Horror / Thriller
Directed by: David Guy Levy
Starring: Brittany Snow, Jeffrey Combs, Johnny Coyne 

 Running time: 93 minutes

 

Iris is a young woman having a hard time making ends meet as she cares for her sick younger brother Raleigh. In an appointment with her brother’s doctor, Iris meets Shepard Lambrick, a very rich man who offers the young woman to take part in a game at a dinner party he’s organizing. If she wins the game, all her brother’s medical needs will be met and her financial problems will be solved. She finally accepts and ends up in a twisted and deadly game of “Would You Rather” with a group of strangers.

This is decent psychological thriller that offers its share of interesting plot twists. It is violent, but it did not rely too heavily on blood and guts (by my standards anyways). The acting ranged from okay to not that good, but I was still entertained. Nice plot twist I really did not expect at the end.

Rating: «««

The Hunt for Red October (1990)

Genre: Thriller
Directed by: John McTiernan
Starring: Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn

Running time: 135 minutes

 

Based on the Tom Clancy novel of the same name, this film tells the story of the Red October, a new Russian Typhoon-class nuclear submarine under the command of Marko Ramius. Though it moves with stealth, the Russian submarine’s presence in the waters is vaguely felt by American authorities. CIA analyst Jack Ryan perceives that Ramius wants to defect to America, and he must prove his point to the higher ups before the issue escalates into a full-blown confrontation.

This film offers a good cast of talented people well directed to deliver a captivating story on screen. It dragged a bit a times, but, overall, this is a very good thriller.

 Rating: ««««