Desperate for money, a group of teenagers takes jobs catering a lavish dinner party in a Malibu mansion in hopes of getting more than their pay out of it. Once inside, they quickly discover that the elite is much different than they expected.
Category Archives: Movie Reviews
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
The best thing I can say about “Bohemian Rhapsody” is that it aims to become a surefire Oscar contender, and the only aspect deserving of an Oscar is Rami Malek (bad fake teeth and wigs be damned). If you have to absolutely see “Bohemian Rhapsody” see it for Rami Malek, whose portrayal of Freddie Mercury is heartfelt, sublime, and much too fantastic for a movie that’s pretty much a sanitized version of the story of Queen and Freddie Mercury. When you have a biopic of the group that’s been authorized by the surviving members and is PG-13, there’s only so much flexibility allowed, and Malek thankfully rises to the occasion. And then there’s the rest of the movie.
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
Disney re-visits their staple of public domain tales with another visit with “The Nutcracker,” a ritual that’s annual for most movie studios. No matter what year it is, some studio thinks they can offer an artistic, original, or hip take on “The Nutcracker,” and every year it’s terrible. Even with Disney injecting the classic ballet with the spectacle of Robert Zemeckis, the eccentricity/whimsy of Tim Burton, and a vague cribbing from 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz” (bordering on plagiarism), “The Nutcracker and The Four Realms” is a hollow effort to turn the musical composition in to a hit holiday movie. And perhaps a hit holiday movie franchise. You know they’ve focus grouped it and are planning parts two to seven, right now.
The Golem (2018) [Screamfest LA 2018]
In a small village where residents all know each other, a woman calls to life a creature to help set some things right, As that being turns out to possibly be more evil than she thought it would be, it may come down to her to figure things out.
A Selection of Shorts from Screamfest LA Part 2 [Screamfest LA 2018]
Screamfest LA 2018 had a ton of shorts on offer, including some stunning and weird titles that were played in blocks over the weekend attached to random features. Here are but a few of these.
The Jokesters (2015)
AJ Wedding’s found footage movie mostly gets by on its interesting concept that I had a very good time with. Wedding takes the found footage concept and imagines if the “Jackass” crew pulled off one too many pranks on one their crew prompting a psychotic murderous rampage. “The Jokesters” has a ton of potential to be a very original and fun horror comedy, but in the end shockingly feels only half developed. At eighty minutes, it’s surprising how little it realizes the big hook with the descent in to pure gore and horror.
Murder Party (2007)
Jeremy Saulnier has managed to become one of the most original voices in indie cinema for the last eleven years, and “Murder Party” is an off beat debut that twists conventions left and right. Knowing Jeremy Saulnier as we do now, “Murder Party” is typical Saulnier, as he’s prone to trying to make a statement with every film he makes. Every time you think “Murder Party” is heading one way, Saulnier is a lot more content with delivering the unexpected, and I quite enjoyed what he had to offer here. Like most debuts, “Murder Party” is rough around the edges but it’s offbeat horror fun.