Tag Archives: Drama

The Temptations (1998)

Posted on by

temptations

One of the highlights of growing up with parents that loved classic soul and R&B, was listening to some of the greatest bands of all time. My favorite of them all was The Temptations, a wonderful group of singers with one of the more compelling back stories of all time. Though I’m usually not a fan of biography films about bands or musicians in general, “The Temptations” garners an immense cast of strong actors, all of whom help fuel what is a tale about fame, greed, and clashing egos. It’s just a shame that the movie breezes through some crucial details.

Continue reading →

The Monkey’s Paw (2013) [Blu-Ray]

Posted on by

A1wFsPr-DgL._SL1500_

It definitely feels like someone took the original short story of the monkey’s paw, and stretched in to ninety minutes of melodrama. There’s so much padding and filler here, you could cut it down to fifty minutes without missing much. “The Monkey’s Paw” is one in dozens of variations of the dreaded monkey’s paw tale, created by W.W. Jacobs (about the perfect wish trinket with dire consequences). Except the monkey’s paw bears little to no relevance in a movie about an undead guy who just wants to take his young son fishing. He just wants to take him fishing, what’s a dead guy to do? Kill a lot of boring supporting characters to get his wish?

Continue reading →

Deep in the Darkness (2014)

Posted on by

deep_in_the_darkness_650x366

Plot holes, plot holes, and more plot holes! It’s just another title from the ever growing library of horror groaners from Chiller Films. Colin Theys’ “Deep in the Darkness” is an amalgam of “The Wicker Man,” “The Descent,” and a bit of “Rosemary’s Baby” for good measure. “Deep in the Darkness” is yet another horror movie that promises it’s building up to something, and then sputters out like a deflated balloon, forcing the audience to realize they’ve spent ninety minutes watching nothing. Nothing at all. What in the name of all that is sane did that final scene even mean?

Continue reading →

Zugzwang (2015)

Posted on by

zugzwang

One of the bigger problems in “Zugzwang” is the intent behind the premise and concept. I was never sure if this short film was supposed to be a whimsically sweet tale of an underdog pursuing love, or a disturbing tale of a young boy out of touch with human dynamics who can’t take a hint. I found the ultimate resolution a bit uncomfortable and unsatisfying, but thankfully those caveats don’t bog down “Zugzwang,” completely. True it sounds like I’m down on the short film but despite its hazy intentions director Yolanda Centeno’s short film is charming and inventive.

Continue reading →

The Normal Heart (2014)

Posted on by

normal-heart

Director Ryan Murphy’s adaptation of the acclaimed Larry Kramer stage play “The Normal Heart” is a stunning and often grueling drama that thankfully never sugarcoats the painful illness it touches upon. It’s a human drama about human beings stricken with a horrific disease that reached pandemic proportions in the 1980’s and was generally ignored by the media and the government for many years. “The Normal Heart” is a tough watch because it is also the first chapter in an ongoing war that continues to affect the world and is still generally ignored, and dismissed as hopeless by many to this day.

Continue reading →

Watercolor Postcards (2013)

Posted on by

One of the main draws to director Rajeev Dassani’s “Watercolor Postcards” aside from its positive message, is the wonderful cast he assembles. His film is colored with an array of brilliant character actors, from Jonathan Banks, to John C. McGinley. Keeping the film afloat though is the sheer excellent performance from Bailee Madison. I’ve been a fan of her performances for years, and here she handles what could have been a goofy character with grace and subtlety allowing for a protagonist filled with an endless supply of hope and faith that makes her look strong rather than naïve.

Continue reading →

Ghost World (2001)

Posted on by

ghost-world

I know a lot of these coming of age dramedies about young people learning to move on with their lives is supposed to include bouts of self loathing, but “Ghost World” tends to play it a little too far, most times. Director Terry Zwigoff’s adaptation of the Daniel Clowes’ graphic novel is considered a cult classic, but for the life of me I can’t figure out what. It’s such a cloying, misleading, and obnoxious movie with trite ideas that, despite my repeated tries I can never get around to remotely enjoying this.

Continue reading →