It’s pretty clear that director K” is ambitious and has aspirations to be so much bigger. Considering the budget and the limitations, “Kindred” is pretty fantastic and garners implications that could hopefully lead to a sequel sometime in the future. I was definitely sucked in to the world Nicholson and writer Josh Bryer unfolded for us and I just wanted to see more and where it was all leading.
Five Great Chris Evans Performances
Chris Evans is a charismatic and really entertaining actor whose really managed to elevate himself as a valuable on-screen presence since he burst on to the scene years ago. He can be funny, empathetic, and dramatic, and he seems to have a good sense of humor about himself. Whether it’s playing third banana in “Cellular’ or goofy hunk in “Not Another Teen Movie,” Evans is never boring, and continues to grow as an actor with every film. He proved it with flying colors in “Snowpiercer.” Here are five great performances from Chris Evans.
Heaven is For Real (2014)
I have to admit, for a while “Heaven is For Real” strays from its intent to preach about the Christian heaven and almost seems to challenge its audience’s convictions. At least it wants to try. But it’s really just more numbing propaganda. The entirety of “Heaven is For Real” Is: “Heaven exists. Or does it? Yes, it exists. Sorry to scare you, folks, it exists. Go home and sleep tight, heaven is for real.” And just to cover all of its bases, the subtitles in the end of the movie assure us that main character Colton is a teenager and is normal. Good, I was worried the kid talking about the supernatural, and creeping his parents out wasn’t all there. Kids say the darndest things, donchaknow.
Lake Placid: Collector’s Edition (1999) [Blu-ray]
Director Steve Miner and writer David E. Kelly’s “Lake Placid” is a B monster movie that knows what it is, and almost works against its type to offer something of substance. The harder it tries for satire and meta-storytelling, the more absurd “Lake Placid” is, thus more surreal. I wouldn’t classify “Lake Placid” as a great monster movie, but it has a strange energy to it that elevates it above usual monster movie tropes, but also keeps it firmly planted in the corner of a horror comedy bordering on a spoof quite often.
Ginger Snaps (2000): Collector’s Edition [Blu-ray/DVD]
Great werewolf films are hard to come by, so it’s a shock to see such an under the radar low budget horror film like “Ginger Snaps” not only get the formula right, but make its own mark in the sub-genre. Most times, the entire werewolf motif has been used to convey feelings of oppression and unbridled savagery as we saw with “The Howling,” and “The Wolfman,” but director John Fawcett aims toward a more feminine message. This werewolf film is about lycanthropy as a metaphor for blossoming in to womanhood. With such overtones and outright straight forward explorations of the themes, “Ginger Snaps” surprisingly knows how to balance its narrative themes well.
The New Adventures of Superman: Season 2 & 3 (DVD)
“The New Adventures of Superman” are mainly just shorts trimmed from the series “The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure” from the sixties, and given their own spotlight. Not that I’m complaining, mind you, but you can sense that the shorts here were once a part of something bigger and more diverse. That said, “The New Adventures of Superman” works considerably well if you’re okay with crude animation.
Snowpiercer (2014)
Director Bong Joon-ho’s science fiction epic is a maddening and often demented commentary on society and class structure. It brilliantly devises its premise to reflect the rise to a power that may or may not be necessary to the survival of society. Is it worth living like an upper class yuppie if it means maintaining a stratum that can keep others alive for one more day? Even if it’s in the trenches with the lower class and degenerates? Does every part of life serve a purpose right down to the wealthy elite?