Wednesday 31 August 2022

REVIEW: Nope (2022) - Starring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer and Steven Yeun

Review by Jon Donnis
This review will contain spoilers, so do not read on unless you want to know what happens.

Jordan Peele is back with his latest film, yet again he desperately wants to be seen as the new M. Night Shyamalan, but instead he proves that he just doesn't have that magic that Shyamalan had, especially in his early films.

Now if you have seen the trailer to this film, or heard basic chatter, then you might be expecting some kind of alien invasion film, along the lines of M. Night Shyamalan's excellent film Signs. But if you expect that you will be sorely disappointed. NOPE, this is not an alien invasion film.


Some quick question and answers before we go on.

Are their any proper little aliens in this film? NOPE
Does this film have a clever twist? NOPE
Will I care about any of the human characters in this film? NOPE

I said human characters above on purpose, as there is a subplot in this film regarding a Chimpanzee, which is way more interesting than the rest of the film, sadly this subplot is only there to introduce another character.

The film itself starts off promising enough, we start in 1998, and on a film set for a sitcom "Gordy's Home, Gordy is a chimpanzee, as they film an anniversary episode special, a balloon pops on set, and the chimp goes mental, Gordy attacks and kills all of his human co stars. Later in the film we get another flash back that shows child actor Ricky "Jupe" Park, (who is later played by Steven Yeun as an adult), hiding under a table as the chimp is attacking people, he is unharmed, and after the Chimp calms down he comes over to Jupe and extends his "hand?" for a fist bump before being shot by police.

These two flashback scenes when put together are the highlight of the film, and I wish that this was a film about that, instead of what it ends up being about.

Fast forward to the present day and we have  two cowboys Otis Haywood Sr. (Keith David) and his son, Otis "OJ" Haywood Jr. (Daniel Kaluuya) who run a ranch handling horses, which in turn are used for film productions. One day out of nowhere a coin falls from the sky and hits Otis Sr through the eye killing him. OJ and his sister Emerald (Keke Palmer) inherit the ranch.


OJ is doing his best to keep the business going while Emerald wants fame and fortune in Hollywood.

6 months later when filming a commercial, one of the horses reacts badly when a crew member startles it and it kicks out. The Haywoods are fired from the project.

With the business falling apart, OJ is forced to sell his horses to the now adult Jupe, (the boy from the Chimp attack incident), he operates a small Western themed theme park nearby. He offers to buy the ranch from them.

Later that night, the Haywoods notice their horse reacting angryily to an unknown presence. They see something of a donut shaped UFO sucking up the horses, and spitting items out. He wonders if that is how his dad was killed.

Now at this point the film becomes about them trying to film and photograph the UFO.

SPOILERS AHEAD!
I don't usually spoil films, in fact I try to avoid it, but this one time I am going to spoil it because I was so disappointed in the outcome.

The film is just over 2 hours, and there are long periods where not a lot happens, boring dialog between the Haywood siblings that will send you to sleep.
In fact you could watch the first 5 minutes, then fast forward 55 minutes and you would lose nothing from the film.

So the whole film kinda sets up what you would think would be a cool alien invasion film. A UFO that hides in a cloud, sucking up horses and so on, Peele even fakes out a scene with kids dressed up to make you think aliens are walking about, now this would be fine if you then delivered actual aliens, but instead we dont get any.

The UFO itself is not actually a UFO, it is in fact a big floaty alien shape shifting jellyfish thing, which they killed by making it eat a huge balloon that pops inside it. Yes that is the big finale! It is as bad as it sounds. 

The Jupe character has been "feeding" this creature Horses to keep it happy, I guess the metaphore in all of this is that an animal is always an animal however well you think you treat it, think the Chimp, the Horse, and the Alien.

Sometimes you can forgive long build ups, you can forgive the fake outs, as long as the film delivers, I don't mine a swerve, giving you something you didn't expect, but this film just lies to you, makes you think it is one thing, and then gives you something that is much worse.

The hook with the Chimp was great, I was interested in that, yet in the end it is just used as a metaphor.


The Good
The chimp attacking people on set while filming a sitcom, that is a great horror film that could be made right there.

The Bad
Everything else, the characters are bland and you wont care for any of them. The big finale is laughably bad. There are no proper aliens, just a weird kite like jelly fish creature.

Overall
Such a disappointment, but since Jordan Peele is Hollywood's golden boy, as he ticks all the boxes, the film will do well as everyone will tell you how great it is, in the hope you will somehow believe them. 

Should you watch this film? NOPE

I score NOPE a 3/10 (The 3 is just for the Chimp scenes)

At cinemas now.

Tuesday 30 August 2022

REVIEW: Me Time (2022) - Starring Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg

Review by Jon Donnis
A 95-minute buddy comedy you say? With Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg? I'm in!


Kevin Hart stars as Sonny Fisher, he is a stay-at-home dad, his wife Maya (Regina Hall) works as a talented architect, Sonny is pretty much the perfect dad, but one day he realises he needs some me time, especially as a millionaire playboy seems to be sniffing around his wife.

After playing golf with some old Asian women who hustle him, and then making himself sick, eating too much BBQ, he tries the local strip joint where he sees the babysitter. This "Me Time" is not going well.


All the while his best friend Huck Dembo (Mark Wahlberg ) who he hasn't seen in years keeps trying to get Sonny to come out with him, eventually Sonny realises he needs more and agrees to go celebrate Huck's 44th birthday.

And of course, this is where the craziness begins. Whether it is fighting a mountain lion, an out-of-control party or pooping in his rival's bed. This is a good old fashioned buddy comedy that works.


The Good
Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg have great chemistry, and this is a really fun film, some of the jokes are a bit childish, but that is what I want in a good buddy comedy. At 95 minutes this is super easy to watch and enjoy. If you are a fan of either Kevin Hart or Mark Wahlberg, then you will enjoy this film.

The Bad
Some of the comedy might not be for everyone.

Overall
I am a movie fan, I enjoy watching films, and this film although not for everyone, is exactly what you would expect out of a Kevin Hart film.

I score Me Time a solid 8/10

Out Now on Netflix

Monday 29 August 2022

COMPETITION: Win Hellbender on DVD


Hellbender - Released on 5th September

And to celebrate we have a great competition for you and 2 copies on DVD to give away.

Synopsis: 
FRESH, RAW and bewitching indie folk horror Hellbender will grip fans with a story that has real bite, promising one hell of a ride. As unnerving and gruesome as it is beautiful and enticing, this captivating, unsettling and hellish feature will push audiences to the brink.

The sixth feature from the family collective who write, direct, produce, score, edit and act in all of their films, Hellbender had its world premiere at Fantasia International Film Festival 2021, where it garnered two wins and a nomination for Best Actress, Best Motion Picture Score and Best Film, respectively.

16-year-old Izzy (Zelda Adams) lives in isolation with her mother (Zelda’s real-life mum, Toby Poser) in the quietly eerie mountains of New York State. Cut off from the outside world, Izzy is home-schooled and prohibited from leaving the house because she suffers with a rare auto-immune disease which prohibits her from being around other people. Or so she’s been told...

After befriending Amber (sister Lulu Adams), Izzy questions the reality of her disease. And, when she eats a live worm as part of a teenage game, she develops an insatiable hunger for living things...

The first taste of blood awakens Izzy’s powers, and she soon learns that she and her mother are the latest in a line of Hellbenders, a hybrid of witches, demons, and predatory animals. While Izzy’s mother is convinced that she has her powers under control, when Izzy learns of her new abilities, a dark and dangerous mother-daughter power struggle collides with a battle of bloodlust.

What ensues is an inventive and exhilarating occult coming-of-age story imbued with a uniquely female narrative. With breath-taking cinematography and astounding performances, the film is a product of the Adams Family's home-grown aesthetic and ushers something spellbinding, shocking, and refreshingly unexpected into the horror genre.

Dark, disturbing, and full of depth, Hellbender is a must-watch for all genre fans. 

Order from Amazon at https://amzn.to/3Kr0jzI

For your chance to win just answer the question below.

COMPETITION CLOSED

Quick Terms and conditions - For full T&C click here
1. Closing date 12-09-22
2. No alternative prize is available
3. When the competition ends as indicated on this page, any and all entries received after this point will not count and emails blacklisted due to not checking this page first.
4. Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.
5. Entries that come directly from other websites will not be accepted.

COMPETITION: Win Shattered Earth Cloudy Mountain on DVD



Shattered Earth Cloudy Mountain - Released on 5th September

And to celebrate we have a great competition for you and 3 copies on DVD to give away.

Synopsis: 
Get ready for an explosive action blockbuster in this epic struggle for survival.

A peaceful town turns into a living hell when a devastating earthquake is triggered, causing buildings to tumble and sinkholes to open. A retired railway soldier and his son, an explosives engineer, travel deep into a cave to rescue trapped survivors. However, a second terrifying quake is just hours away, threatening to bury the whole town and everyone in it.

Trinity CineAsia presents Shattered Earth on DVD from 5th September and Digital from 12th September 

Order from Amazon at https://amzn.to/3Rjx5oQ

For your chance to win just answer the question below.

COMPETITION CLOSED

Quick Terms and conditions - For full T&C click here
1. Closing date 12-09-22
2. No alternative prize is available
3. When the competition ends as indicated on this page, any and all entries received after this point will not count and emails blacklisted due to not checking this page first.
4. Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.
5. Entries that come directly from other websites will not be accepted.

COMPETITION: Win They Who Dare (Vintage Classics) on Blu-ray


They Who Dare (Vintage Classics) - Released on 5th September

And to celebrate we have a great competition for you and 2 copies on Blu-ray to give away.

Synopsis: 
Based on the true story of "Operation Anglo", which involved an attack on two airfields on Rhodes by the S.B.S. (not the S.A.S. as portrayed in the film), THEY WHO DARE is directed by Lewis Milestone (All Quiet on The Western Front, Mutiny on The Bounty) and features a supporting cast that includes Denholm Elliot (A Room With a View, Indiana Jones and The Raiders of The Lost Ark), Akim Tamiroff (Touch of Evil, The Trial) and Harold Siddons (The Dam Busters, A Night to Remember)
 
Featuring brand-new bonus material and looking better than ever, THEY WHO DARE is a welcome addition to the ever-expanding Vintage Classics collection.
 
During the Second World War, Lieutenant Graham (Dirk Bogarde) is sent on a mission to destroy two German airfields on Rhodes that may threaten Egypt. Under his command, a group of six Special Boat Service, two Greek officers and two local guides are assembled.

The group is taken to Rhodes by submarine and comes ashore at night on a desolate beach. From there, the group has to traverse the mountains to reach its targets. At a pre-designated location, the party splits into two raiding parties. After having infiltrated the air bases, they blow up the aircraft, but two of the raiders are taken prisoner by the Italians. Hunted by the many enemy patrols, will the others evade capture and make it back to the submarine in time?

Order from Amazon at https://amzn.to/3e7cuFC

For your chance to win just answer the question below.

COMPETITION CLOSED

Quick Terms and conditions - For full T&C click here
1. Closing date 12-09-22
2. No alternative prize is available
3. When the competition ends as indicated on this page, any and all entries received after this point will not count and emails blacklisted due to not checking this page first.
4. Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.
5. Entries that come directly from other websites will not be accepted.

Sunday 28 August 2022

REVIEW: Bullet Train (2022) - Starring Brad Pitt

Review by Jon Donnis
Director David Leitch brings us his latest Action-Comedy film, Bullet Train, set aboard a fictionalised version of the Tokaido Shinkansen, aka the bullet train, due to its near 200 mph speeds. Brad Pitt stars as "Ladybug", a ridiculously unlucky American assassin. And the rest of the all-star cast include such names as Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Bad Bunny, and Sandra Bullock.


The film starts off in Tokyo, Yuichi Kimura "The Father", a Japanese member of the White Death's organization is grieving after an unknown man pushes his son off a rooftop, he wants revenge. 

Meanwhile a semi-retired assassin known as Ladybug (Brad Pitt) is given an assignment to retrieve a metal briefcase which is on the bullet train bound for the cultural capital of Japan, the city of Kyoto. 


It just so happens that also on the train is Yuichi Kimura, a young woman known as The Prince (Joey King), a mercenary posing as a British schoolgirl who just so happened to be the one who attacked Yuichi's son, two assassin brothers called Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) and Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) who have been assigned to escort the metal briefcase that Ladybug is after, as well as the son of a Russian born Yakuza boss known as the White Death (Michael Shannon).

Are you confused yet? I know I am.


Ladybug retrieves the briefcase, but finds himself attacked by another assassin who happens to be on the train called Wolf (Benito A. Martínez Ocasio aka Bad Bunny), he blames Ladybug for killing his wedding party.

Ok it is pointless trying to explain any more, as things get so complicated. Basically, there are a load of killers and assassins on this train, some by chance, and Ladybug will have to basically survive the lot.

Throw in some clever/funny lines, lots of slightly repetitive fight scenes on the train, as well as copious amounts of flashbacks to explain characters, and that is pretty much the film.

Sometimes it feels like they had the idea for the film, "a load of assassins on the bullet train" and then tried to figure out the script as they were filming. They knew they had some big names attached to the film, so of course it would sell, but in the process, they seem to have totally forgotten how to make a film make sense and engage the audience.

The plot comes second to the violence, and all of the on train scenes are clearly not filmed on a real train, as the backgrounds are obviously CGI.

The film has its moments, the Lemon and Tangerine characters are fun, if not obviously Pulp Fiction rip offs. Brad Pitt is always likeable on camera, and there are plenty of cameos throughout to grab your attention, if only for a minute or two.


The Good
Fun fight scenes, lots of violence and some great cameos.

The Bad
Ridiculous plot that seems to have been tacked on after filming had begun.

Overall
Throw enough money at a film, employ enough big-name stars, and you are almost guaranteed a hit movie. 
But this is no cult classic. At two hours it is way too long. 

I score Bullet Train a sober 6/10.

Better writing and this could've been a classic.

Out in cinemas now!
And available to pre-order at https://amzn.to/3pOcjlk

Friday 26 August 2022

REVIEW: Samaritan (2022) - Starring Sylvester Stallone and Javon Walton

Review by Jon Donnis
Since I first saw the trailer for Sylvester Stallone's newest film Samaritan, I have been looking forward to watching the whole film.

The story revolves around a young boy who comes to the realization that a famed superhero, who was thought to have gone missing after an epic battle twenty-five years ago, may in fact still be around.

Sounds pretty good, but is it?


The film starts off with the narration of an animated retelling of the story of Samaritan, and how his brother Nemesis used innocent people as a way to get Samaritan to come fight him. There is a blast and both Samaritan and Nemesis die.

Back in modern times, and we follow young Sam Cleary (played by Javon Walton), a 13-year-old student, trying to help his mom survive through a financial crisis. Of course, this leads him accepting money from gang members, to distract a shop keeper while they steal scratch cards. Unfortunately, the gang do not bother to check the boxes they steal and instead steal packets of crisps.


When they realise, they get into an argument and Sam gets involved, and punches one of the gang members, embarrassing him in front of the boss.

The gang box Cyrus (Pilou Asbæk) rewards Sam for his hard work, but also gives him money for work he has yet to do. 

After Sam leaves, the gang follow him, and want revenge for him embarrassing one of them, they jump him and start beating him, suddenly an older man, Joe (Sylvester Stallone) comes along, and easily beats up the gang, saving Sam.

Sam starts to believe this man is the Superhero Samaritan. Since Joe lives across the road from where Sam lives, Sam starts to spy on him, looking for evidence.


What follows is a film about an aging Superhero, reluctant to not only reveal he is alive, but reluctant to get back into the Superhero business.

Javon Walton is the star of the film in many ways, he gets the most screentime, and he is the character we are most interested in supporting. This may not necessarily be a bad thing, but personally I kind of expected this to be much more centered around Sylvester Stallone and the Samaritan character. So, I think some people might be disappointed in that.

We also learn later in the film that everything that went down in the past in the original fight between Nemesis and Samaritan might not have been accurate, and we soon learn the true story. And with that we do get some hilarious CGI of a young Stallone.


The Good
This is a decent film, at 95 minutes it is about the right length, and as Stallone gets older, it is nice to see him still be able to pull off the tough guy role.

The Bad
CGI is hilariously bad, and those wanting more of a Stallone centric film might be disappointed.

Overall
I enjoyed Samaritan, the story was good, the fight scenes were decent, and the end was satisfying.

I score Samaritan a fair 7/10

Out now on Amazon Prime. - https://amzn.to/3KlM2EB

Wednesday 24 August 2022

REVIEW: DC League of Super-Pets - Starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart

Review by Jon Donnis
I love Superhero films, I hate Superhero cartoons, I avoid them like the plague, however I thought I would give League of Super-Pets a chance, as I had heard good things about it.

The basic story tells of Superman's pet dog Krypto and shelter dog Ace who work with other animals to rescue the captured superheroes from Lex Luthor (Marc Maron).

With an all-star cast including Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, Thomas Middleditch, Ben Schwartz, and Keanu Reeves, surely, they can't go wrong!


The film starts off with the classic Superman origin story, but with a slight twist. During the final moments of Krypton before its destruction, Kal-El's parents put baby Supes in a small spaceship pod so he can survive, as the little ship is closing, a Kryptonian Labrador Retriever puppy jumps into the pod too.

Fast forward many years and Kal-El has become Superman (John Krasinski), and that little puppy is now known as Krypto the Superdog (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), or Krypto for short. Together they live in Metropolis under their secret identities of Bark and Clark Kent. (Yes, I know, there will be plenty of eye roll moments throughout the film).


Clark is dating Lois Lane (Olivia Wilde), and of course Krypto is jealous of her. Clark thinks that Krypto needs a friend so goes to an animal shelter to find one for him.

A Boxer named Ace (Kevin Hart ), is escaping the shelter but Krypto stops him.

Later on, Superman and Krypto spot Lex Luthor reeling in an orange meteorite with a tractor beam. You see, orange Kryptonite gives powers to mortals, and Luthor wants that power. But before he can finish the job, the Justice League turns up, and along with Superman and Krypto easily save the day.


Unbeknownst to them, Lulu (Kate McKinnon), a guinea pig tested on by Luthor, that has been sent to the shelter, manages to reel in a small piece of Orange Kyryptonite with her own tractor beam, which she uses to gain powers and escape, but as she got powers, so did the other pets in the shelter.

Ace the boxer is now super-strong and indestructible; PB (Vanessa Bayer), a potbellied pig, can change size; Merton (Natasha Lyonne), a near-sighted turtle, gains super speed; and Chip (Diego Luna), a squirrel, gains electrokinesis.

Back at home, Superman and Krypto have an argument due to more jealousy from Krypto as Superman plans to propose to Lois. While Krypto is sulking in his room, Superman is kidnapped and captured by Lulu. By the time Krypto realises, it is too late, he has been poisoned by Lulu and has now lost all of his powers.


Eventually Krypto comes across the shelter animals, and convinces them to help him save Superman. And thus, the League of Super-Pets is born.

We then get a really fun proper Superhero story, but with pets. Of course the more famous Superheroes pop up too, and also get captured, and the pets have to save everyone.

The 3D style animation is incredible throughout, the voice acting is of the highest quality, which you would expect from such an all-star cast.

Despite the PG rating, this is a film that can also be enjoyed by adults, there are plenty of adult humour in there, and even some crafty swearing that is covered up with other noises, but you know what it is. The comedy moments are quite laugh out loud, and although as mentioned there are some eye rolling moments, even then you will smile knowing the terrible joke is quite clever.

There are even post credit scenes in classic Superhero film fashion.


The Good
Possibly the first Superhero cartoon I have ever actually enjoyed. The humour is spot on, I enjoyed the jokes, the story is fun, the animation is great and overall this is a really good film.

The Bad
Nothing really, this is a fun film from start to end.

Overall
I highly recommend DC League of Super-Pets; this is suitable for kids and adults. Great film.

I score DC League of Super-Pets a strong 9/10

Out now in Cinemas.

Pre-order the home entertainment release at https://amzn.to/3AcCCq0


Sunday 21 August 2022

REVIEW: Bullet Proof (2022) aka Death Pursuit - Starring Vinnie Jones, James Clayton and Lina Lecompte

Review by Jon Donnis
So, there is this film and we want to cast Vinnie Jones.... Yep, you got it, a gritty gangster film!

Ok, to be fair it is a bit more than just a gritty gangster film, it has a lot of car chase scenes too!

We are quickly introduced to a character that we only ever know as The Thief (James Clayton), in fact the one moment in the film where he says his name, there is a hilarious cutaway to a plane propeller, so we never do hear his name spoken. Anyway, The Thief is sneaking about in a drug dealers' hideout which just happens to be in a car scrapyard. The Thief steals millions in cash that just happens to be lying around, while a bunch of gangsters are taking care of "business".


For some bizarre reason after getting the cash and jumping in a car for his easy escape The Thief decides to put some music on, and we quickly have a shoot out, chase scene.


Once The Thief has properly escaped, he pulls over and checks the boot of the car, a shot rings out, luckily missing The Thief. Inside the boot is Mia, (Lina Lecompte) she is the pregnant wife of Temple (Vinnie Jones), the head gangster. Mia wants to escape from Temple, and for now will go with The Thief.


Before you know it, Temple is going crazy that someone has stolen his cash, and seemingly taken his pregnant wife with him.

Cue lots of henchmen all looking to retrieve the money and Mia.


The Thief is clearly modelled on Paul Walker from the Fast and Furious films, and in various scenes we get nice close ups of foot hitting the gas, close ups of the gear stick while doing J turns, he even looks a bit like Paul Walker.

The film is very generic, lots of boxes ticked for what you would expect in an action film, but that doesn't necessarily need to be a bad thing. I get the feeling that the public are sick of identity politics, and woke agendas being pushed through films, and really just want to watch something that does what it says in the synopsis. And you can make a fair argument that Bullet Proof does deliver.


Vinnie Jones pulls his angry faces, beats a few people up, his henchmen have individual styles, and some suspect face tattoos. The car chases are fun, the shoot outs are action packed. 

The film has a perfect 90 minutes runtime, which is what you want in an action film. A mid budget means the film looks decent, and the cast are all professionals. This is a fun old fashioned action film.


The Good
James Clayton is a fun pick for the thief you want to succeed. Vinnie Jones is excellent as the moody mob boss type that we all know he was born to play. This is a good film.

The Bad
Incredibly unoriginal, I prefer the original name of Death Pursuit too.

Overall
It is a 90-minute action film with Vinnie Jones, it delivers everything you would expect.

I score Bullet Proof a solid 7/10

In cinemas now and available to stream on Roku.

Friday 19 August 2022

REVIEW: The Moderator (2022) - Starring Irma Lake, Gary Dourdan and Robert Knepper

Review by Jon Donnis
I thought I would check out new action crime thriller The Moderator on Prime Video, mainly due to the awesome poster, but also because I like a good international thriller, as they often offer something different to the usual rubbish that comes out of Hollywood.

Irma Lake stars as Mya Snik, one day she finds out that two of her Scandinavian friends in Morocco have been killed, and a video of their deaths sent to family. Luckily Snik happens to be a covert assassin, which means she can seek out revenge.


She quickly finds out that the deaths are part of a long line of sadistic murders by an underground crime syndicate, she decides to start hunting them down one by one. We soon learn that Snik is part of a group that are fighting against misogynistic men, and are getting revenge for women targeted by such men, rape victims, murder victims and so on.

Directed by Zhor Fassi-Fihri from a screenplay co-written by producer Hicham Hajji and Jonathan McConnell.


The film also stars Robert Knepper as Agent John Ross, Gary Dourdan as Agent Richard Bourdeau and Michael Patrick Lane as the instantly dislikeable Vance Wilhorn.

As mentioned, this is a very international film, with actors from around the world. Robert Knepper is probably the best known in the cast, we all remember him as Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell in the Fox drama series Prison Break, with Gary Dourdan also a recognisable face if you are a fan of the original CSI.


This is a relatively low budget film, and as such the action scenes are perhaps not as long or as fancy as you might like, but with a super tight runtime of about 1 hour 15 minutes, it is not something that stands out.

Irma Lake does a decent job as a convincing assassin, she looks super tough, and fights just as badass, I think perhaps she struggles sometimes delivering some of the lines in English, as a native Russian speaker, I would have preferred her delivering her lines in her native language, and throw subtitles on the screen. This is her first lead role in a film, and I think she comes across very well, and has a striking appearance on screen.

Gary Dourdan and Robert Knepper steady the ship with solid performances that you would expect from seasoned professionals.


The Good
Beautifully shot locations, and some nice fight scenes. Irma Lake really does stand out when she is on screen, and I look forward to seeing her in more productions, and some I hope with larger budgets and better scripts.

The Bad
Some of the dialog is poor, and the plot is a bit iffy in parts.

Overall
Is this film going to go down as a cult classic? Probably not. Is it a simple action film, with a nice short run time that will entertain you? Yes.

Give it a shot, you might just like it.

I score The Moderator a generous 7/10

Out now on Amazon Prime Video at https://amzn.to/3K9iDNu


Thursday 18 August 2022

REVIEW: Black Wood (2022) - Starring Tanajsia Slaughter & Glenn Morshower

Review by Jon Donnis
Tanajsia Slaughter stars as Dowanhowee, a Native American woman, her family have been murdered and she is traveling through the American Old West. One day she comes across a small town, she is after a horse to ride to help her on her journey. She comes across the Dutch Wilder Gang who are on their own mission to find hidden gold.

When Dowanhowee realises one of the gang members was behind her family's death, she takes revenge by shooting an arrow through his neck and then finishing the job. She then escapes towards the Black Wood Forest.

The gang chase after her, capture her and then force her to guide them through the forest to what they hope will be a fortune of gold.


Of course things are never that easy and once in the forest they find themselves being hunted by an ancient ravenous creature, known as The Wendigo

Black Wood is a low budget film, that is easily punching above its weight. Glenn Morshower is perhaps the only actor in the film that will be widely recognised, although you might not know his name, you will recognise his face from such TV shows as 24, Supergirl, Friday Night Lights as well as CSI and other similar shows.

This is a horror film at its core, but set in an old time Western setting. And if you can ignore the perfectly mown grass in the town at the start, then the setting does work well.

Some of the special effects, the gore etc is a bit silly looking, which you can blame on the low budget, and The Wendigo is erm... interesting to say the least. I wont spoil it for you.


The Good
Some great looking backdrops, a strong performance from Tanajsia Slaughter and an old fashioned story wrapped up in a horror setting, and this is a good film despite the low budget.

The Bad
Although this film is punching above its weight, the budget does hold it back at times, especially with the special effects.

Overall
Western meets horror in Black Wood. Better than it should be all things considered.

I score Black Wood a generous 7/10
Out on Roku