You have to give it to Will Smith. For a man prone to taking the spotlight and eating it up like a gluttonous child, he really is comfortable playing second fiddle in “After Earth.” Clearly just nothing but a vanity project for Smith and his son, he literally passes the torch on to his son Jaden to take up the role of the action hero. Smith meanwhile stays in a space ship for the duration of the film as the Maguffin leading his son to the film’s second Maguffin. It’s all for naught though since Jaden Smith has no screen presence, zero charisma, and can’t act to save his life.
Category Archives: Movie Reviews
Violet & Daisy (2011)
One thing about “Violet & Daisy” that bugged me most, was that it pretends to be about something. When really, it isn’t. We don’t get to meet or know Violet & Daisy long enough to understand their characters or motivation. With the writing and short run time, “Violet & Daisy” portrays the titular duo as two moronic teenagers that happen to be assassins for some kind of gang or mafia organization.
Trouble (2013)
Daniel Witkins short dramedy about a boarding school and a group of unruly young boys is a film that definitely has potential for a feature length treatment, should Witkins ever decide to re-work the premise. While it works well within the confines of its short length, it could also be an entertaining coming of age indie for audiences that can appreciate this type of entertainment.
The Lords of Salem (2013)
One thing about Rob Zombie as a director is that he’s tasked with finishing one of his many nonsensical horror films with Sheri Moon as the lead. Sheri Moon is not an actress by any definition. She’s mostly suited for silent supporting roles with someone else doing the heavy lifting. Hence why she’s so much fun in “The Devil’s Rejects.” Sid Haig and Bill Moseley are such excellent actors, Moon doesn’t have to do much but work off them. With “Lords of Salem,” Zombie seems to realize Moon can’t carry a movie on her own, so he once again gives Moon a great supporting cast to work off of. When that safety net is gone, Moon mostly plays her role without much dialogue or heavy emoting, as Zombie fills in her bad performance with a ton of surrealism.
The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976) [Blu-ray/DVD] Combo
Director Charles B. Pierce’s murder mystery is still a rather effective horror film, but one that hasn’t aged too well. It tends to watch more like a television movie or two hour special from “Believe It or Not!” rather than an actual horror film. Though very influential for its time, “The Town That Dreaded Sundown” has all the interesting elements for a great horror film, but doesn’t quite stack up to a horror film based on a real life series of murders like “Helter Skelter,” or “In Cold Blood.”
Q: The Winged Serpent (1982) [Blu-Ray]
Producer: Larry I love your script.
Larry Cohen: Thank you!
Producer: I mean, Aztec Cults, ritual murders, a crime investigation, it’s wonderful.
Larry Cohen: I also have David Carradine and Richard Roundtree in mind to star.
Producer: Excellent. Just throw in a large monster for no reason and we’ll make your movie!
Larry Cohen: Great! I’ll… wait–what?
Producer: There has to be a large monster wreaking havoc. “King Kong” is still big after all. And make it look like a featherless chicken. That’s the ticket!
The Town that Dreaded Sundown (1976) [Blu-Ray/DVD Combo]
Director Charles B. Pierce’s murder mystery is still a rather effective horror film, but one that hasn’t aged too well. It tends to watch more like a television movie or two hour special from “Believe It or Not!” rather than an actual horror film. Though very influential for its time, “The Town That Dreaded Sundown” has all the interesting elements for a great horror film, but doesn’t quite stack up to a horror film based on a real life series of murders like “Helter Skelter,” or “In Cold Blood.”


