Pocket thrillers are what I call these low budget, high impact star vehicles; Often thrillers that isolate two characters that do a lot of damage. Joining other pocket thrillers like Locke, Phone Booth, Buried or even Gravity, Beyond the Reach uses wide open spaces in New Mexico for terrifying effect. 70 year old Michael Douglas […]
I am just going to be upfront and honest, “Backcountry” is one of the most terrifying films I have ever seen. Maybe it’s because I am from the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina, maybe it’s because actor turned writer/director Adam McDonald studied bears and their habits for years before filming. Either way “Backcountry” is
Director Paul Feig (The Heat, Bridesmaids) said he would never be allowed to directed a James Bond film (thank goodness!), so this was as closest he would ever get. Action comedies have never been able to blend both genres successfully (and I am talking about art, not getting some tub of popcorn to laugh at
This is the type of frightening, borderline horror film, exercising a great amount of restraint I like to see. Director Craig William Macneill and writer Clay McLeod Chapman have adapted their short film Henley into a full blown feature starring the same frightening character. While the story leaves many unanswered questions (why is mom in
If the title isn’t enough to grab your attention, the fact the film is based on the book by food critic and Food Channel sensation Anthony Bourdain, should seal the deal. “Food noir thriller”, is how a producer introducing the film described it at SXSW. Indeed Bone in the Throat is just that, filled with
There is apparently no limit to Liam Neeson’s interest in violence and action flicks. Like a broken record, the 62-year-old once again cocks the gun and saves the day. As the films opens, Neeson’s character lays on the ground talking about regrets flashing through his mind. The biggest regret is watching a talented actor discard
His second bust in a row, South African filmmaker Neill Blomkamp exploded onto the scene in 2009 with District 9. Nominated for best picture that year, Blomkamp became the guy to watch. His second feature Elysium took him away from the small budget workings and put him in summer movie territory, where he delivered a
When director David Cronenberg is good, he is really good, but when he is bad, it’s difficult to sit through his films. A History of Violence will always be his modern masterpiece in my mind, and often his best work has been with Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises, A Dangerous Method). Mortensen dropped out of this
This is the first film Oscar nominated, mega-action star, Will Smith had opened outside of a summer release or a holiday since he became the go to guy for blockbusters. It seems After Earth, co-starring his son Jaden, knocked him down a few more notches then we realized. If the release date of late February
“Kill Bill” redefined the female action genre over a decade ago, now in 2015 filmmakers are still trying to recapture what Quentin Tarantino and Uma Thurman delivered. “Lucy” disappointed last year, and “Everly” is this latest attempt to combine sexy women and violence. It isn’t that we don’t want to see someone like Oscar nominated