Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple (2024)

Genre: Documentary
Directed by: Bill Teck
Cast: Steven Van Zandt, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bill Wyman
Running Time: 147 minutes

 

This music documentary covers the life and career of Steven Van Zandt AKA Little Steven AKA Miami Steve, though his various musical projects and bands and his political activism, showing his impact on the production of music that will travel through the years.

I mostly knew Van Zandt for being a part of Bruce Springsteen’s E. Street Band and from playing an important role in The Sopranos, so this documentary was very informative for me. I had no idea about the amount of music he has either written or produced.

This film has now become one of my favorite music documentaries out there. It is so informative and so well done, with some interviews with such legends as Van Zandt himself, Springsteen, McCartney and Bill Wyman. I plan on watching this one again down the line. I love hearing from people who love the music so much.

Rating: «««««

Escape Plan 2: Hades (2018)

Genre: Action / Thriller
Directed by: Steven C. Miller
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Dave Bautista, Huang Xiaoming
Time: 96 minutes

 

Ray Breslin is still operating his security company, with a team of men working under him. He must go back into action to save a few of his men, who are now locked up in this high-tech prison. In the process, Breslin has to face off with a former employee he had to let go for not following the rules.

This is such a mess of a film. Stallone and Bautista did a good job, but the rest of the characters are so weak and uninteresting, I doubt it is really the actor’s fault. The story itself is a mish-mash of nonsensical business. It is just so convoluted. Business picks up in the end when Breslin gets involved a little more in the story, but it is not enough to save the movie from being avoidable.

Rating: ««

The Majestic (2001)

Genre: Romance / Drama
Directed by: Frank Darabont
Cast: Jim Carrey, Bob Balaban, Brent Briscoe
Running Time: 153 minutes

 

In the early 1950’s, Peter Appleton is a young screenwriter in Hollywood. His life and career then fall apart, as he is accused of having communist ties. After a night of drinking, he gets into a car accident. His car crashes into the river, and Peter drifts off, banging his head along the way. He is found on the beach by and old man and his dog, near the little town of Lawson, California. In town, he is mistaken for Luke Trimble, a local young man who went missing during the war.

This movie has its charm. The aspect of the movie theatre and of cinema makes me very nostalgic. There is a lot of sweetness in The Majestic, and the acting is pretty good. The movie is a little too long though, as the story takes many detours. The point is a little heavily made in the end, but, overall, it is a decent movie for what it is.

Rating: «««

Identity Thief (2013)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Seth Gordon
Cast: Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, Jon Favreau
Running Time: 111 minutes

 

Sandy Patterson is an accountant living in Denver, Colorado. His identity is stolen by a Florida woman who cons him into giving her his private information over the phone. He is told by the police that it could take quite a bit of time to clear his name. With a young wife, a daughter and another kid on the way, he decides to travel to the Sunshine State to track down the woman who is the source of all his troubles and bring her to justice.

The premise is silly and the story plods along with too many detours, but the on-screen chemistry between Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy, the two main stars, and their respective performances, made this movie quite bearable in the end.

Rating: «««

Con Air (1997)

Genre: Action / Thriller
Directed by: Simon West
Cast: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, John Malkovich
Running Time: 115 minutes

 

Cameron Poe is a former Army Ranger who was sent to jail for accidently killing a man in self defense during a fight with a few drunken men. Eight years later, he is set for release and he is being transported by plane to get back to his wife and the young daughter he never met. During the flight, the plane is overtaken by the high-risk convicts inside. While keeping a low profile and seeming cooperative with the dangerous criminals, Poe has to spring into action in an attempt to finally make it home.

This is such a good action film. The story is compelling and the cast is filled with talented folks playing their roles quite well. Sure, believability was not a priority. Sure, this film was never destined to win awards. But, it never took itself seriously, which can be so charming. There is some good action, some funny lines and a satisfying conclusion. Overall, a very good thrill-ride of a flick!

Rating: ««««

Beverly Hills Cop Axel F. (2024)

Genre: Action / Comedy
Directed by: Mark Molloy
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige
Running Time: 103 minutes

 

Axel Foley is still a police detective in Detroit and he is still involved in some mischief. When he finds out that the lives of his daughter Jane and his best friend Billy Rosewood are being threatened back in Beverly Hills, Axel travels back to California to handle the matter and to reconnect with his past.

This fourth installment in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise relies heavily on the nostalgia factor, with the music and the old characters. While it doesn’t make for a fresh film, it still manages to entertain. It is a fun flick and it is a hell of a lot better than Beverly Hills Cop 3. I was amused.

Rating: «««

Escape Plan (2013)

Genre: Action / Thriller
Directed by: Mikael Hafstrom
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Caviezel
Time: 115 minutes

 

Ray Breslin is a former prosecutor who now operates a business where he tests the security in various prisons by getting himself locked in under a fake identity and then trying to escape. He is recruited to test the security in a super secretive prison for very dangerous criminals. Once inside, he realizes that he has been trapped and lied to. He solicits the help of another inmate, Emil Rottmayer, to help plan his escape this prison located on a boat in the middle of the ocean.

The main attraction here is seeing Stallone and Schwarzenneger together in lead roles. This is a decent action film. It is nothing too original, but it does the job on entertaining while it lasts. I must admit the ending was less than satisfying.

Rating: «««