Crossworlds (1996)

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Before “The Matrix” there was this wonky surreal tale about existentialism, the meaning of existence and reality, and a suited mad man trying to infiltrate worlds through concepts concerning being, matter, and dimensional travel. By way of “Star Wars,” director Kristin Rao brings us a tasty goofy bit of direct to video goodness with Rutger Hauer as an uber-Obi Wan Kenobi who helps a young man find his way as a warrior and help him learn about his mysterious past involving his father. Hauer even waxes poetic and dons his own combat attire while venturing to save our reality from interdimensional beings looking to conquer various dimensions, including our own.

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A Sister’s Nightmare (2013)

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What almost ruins the experience of “A Sister’s Nightmare” is its pacing. The pacing and tension are glacial to the point where I wondered if writer Shelley Gillen had any idea where it was going. Thankfully sticking with it leads in to a very interesting pay off in the finale where events unfold in to a welcome twist climax. I pretty much anticipated what would occur, but in the end I appreciated that the writers opted for a twist rather than simply turning “A Sister’s Nightmare” in to a typical protective parent thriller we’ve seen a thousand times. I’m not saying “A Sister’s Nightmare” is top notch thrills and chills, but it definitely builds up to a neat bang that compensates for the general mediocrity of its storytelling.

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Avenged (2015)

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I wish “The Crow” sequels took as much of an advantage with a creative premise as director Michael S. Ojeda does with “Avenged.” While his film isn’t exactly a revenge masterpiece, it’s a strong contender for one of the finer revenge films of the past five years, working as a tragic love story, and a vicious horror themed tale of vengeance. Amanda Adrienne Smith is rather compelling as the victimized Zoe, a deaf mute who ends up at the wrong place at the wrong time.

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Sinister 2 (2015)

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Someone should really tell the creators of Slender Man that Focus Features went ahead and ripped off their character, except their version sports rockin’ long black hair. Here we are with the direct follow-up to “Sinister” and the mystery of who or what Bughuul still isn’t interesting, nor is the actual character of Bughuul. His motives are still a mystery, his quest for luring children still unknown, and there’s not a lot of explanation to what purpose the children serve for him. Are they his willing minions? Are they individual manifestations of his persona through the souls of the children he’s consumed? Are they possessed by him? Or are they his eternal slaves? The writers don’t seem to know just yet.

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Jack’s Back (1988) [Blu-Ray/DVD]

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Jack the Ripper is one of the most fascinating serial killers of all time mainly because of the way they (I always assumed it was more than one killer) murdered, and their targets. Sadly, the entity has managed to inspire so many horror films, some very good, and some known as “Jack’s Back.” A cheapy little vehicle, “Jack’s Back” has vague connections to Jack the Ripper, but it overplays its hand by sidestepping the slasher motif, trying to be a cerebral character study. It fails on most fronts. Instead watching like a goofy, often muddled mess that I had a tough time keeping up with.

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Five Great Brie Larson Performances

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Brie Larson has spent a lot of time in film, television, and music making many appearances on television shows, sitcoms, dramas, and even working with Disney every now and then. She’s also a very prominent musician and has managed to finally break out in Hollywood over the last seven years as a surefire heavy hitter. Working her way from supporting player in to headlining acclaimed award winning films, Brie Larson has earned her stripes as a bonafide dramatic actress who is now an Oscar contender.

We’re rooting for her to take the gold home come February, but even if she doesn’t win, she has so many more amazing performances up her sleeve, and her potential for future wins are limitless. Being able to make the transition from art house films to mainstream cinema easily, Larson is something of a chameleon prone to stealing scenes, and I’m glad she’s finally getting her credit.

Here are five of her best performances yet.

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Samurai Cop 2: Deadly Vengeance (2015)

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The only ways to watch “Samurai Cop 2” is with a stern tongue in cheek, or on the basis that you’re a hardcore fan of the original schlock classic. Though a few of the original cast members have come and gone, director Gregory Hatanaka does his best to channel the nineties vibe that the original film was oozing with. Despite taking place in modern times, “Samurai Cop 2” is still very much a nineties action film with the tough sergeant, obligatory sex scenes, Joe Marshall’s long hair, and ninjas galore. There are even ninjas dressed in business suits for some reason.

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