Asher Review: A Creaky Pre-90s Hitman Thriller
Try as they might, even genre giants like Ron Perlman and Famke Jannsen can’t elevate this dull, by-the-numbers hitman thriller. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood The ‘90s were peak years for the hitman genre. Between Tarantino, Rodriguez, and Jarmusch, the way we think about and view these agents of quiet doom has informed ... Asher Review: A Creaky Pre-90s Hitman Thriller
Twisted Pair Review: Neil Breen’s Latest Exercise in Baffling Anti-Cinema
The deeply strange Neil Breen returns with an even more deeply strange entry in his filmography of homespun, barely-coherent ‘psychological thrillers.’ This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood One doesn’t review a Neil Breen movie so much as ponder its existence. It’s not even a question of how it got made—we know it was financed ... Twisted Pair Review: Neil Breen’s Latest Exercise in Baffling Anti-Cinema
The Christmas Chronicles Review: Kurt Russell Saves the Holidays
Netflix continues its encroachment into the Hallmark Christmas movie game with a treacly kid’s flick elevated greatly by Kurt Russell as a Santa Who Bangs. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood The Hallmark Channel runs somewhere between 30 and 418 new Christmas movies every holiday season. I haven’t seen a single one of them. ... The Christmas Chronicles Review: Kurt Russell Saves the Holidays
10 Horror Movies For People Who Don’t Like Horror
This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Let me rephrase that right from the beginning. This list really should be “10 Horror Movies for People Who Normally Aren’t Into Horror Movies, But Might Be Willing to Give Them a Shot,” but that’s just too long for a title. Horror is the genre most often forced ... 10 Horror Movies For People Who Don’t Like Horror
Hunter Killer Review: Gerard Butler Sinks In this Throwback Sub Thriller
The latest mid-budget Gerard Butler vehicle might thrill those who clamor for the return of the 90s submarine thriller, but doesn’t offer much else. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood While the film and television industry is deep in the throes of nostalgia, it’s strange to see the submarine thriller – one of the ... Hunter Killer Review: Gerard Butler Sinks In this Throwback Sub Thriller
Malevolent Review: Netflix’s Latest is Stylish and Sloppy in Equal Measure
Netflix’s latest creep-fest is a schlocky bore filled with predictable twists and some dodgy performances, though it’s mitigated with some genuine visual style. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood “Horror isn’t easy” is probably one of the greater understatements in the history of film. Sure, it’s easy to crank out an hour and a ... Malevolent Review: Netflix’s Latest is Stylish and Sloppy in Equal Measure
The Predator Review: Shane Black’s Sequel Is One Messy Hunt
Shane Black returns to the macho 90s alien-hunter franchise he helped spawn, but his irreverent stamp (including a heaping helping of ableism) does more harm than good. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood On the surface, Shane Black seems like a great, if unexpected, fit for the Predator franchise. He’s a distinct, irreverent action-comedy ... The Predator Review: Shane Black’s Sequel Is One Messy Hunt
Film Review: Peppermint Fails to Give Jennifer Garner a Minty-Fresh Franchise
Jennifer Garner goes back to her Alias days as an ass-kicking action hero, but its muddy action and faux-Punisher derivations make it another late-August dud. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood The past few decades have seen an amazing resurgence in the vengeance film. In a world gone mad, it can be pretty cathartic ... Film Review: Peppermint Fails to Give Jennifer Garner a Minty-Fresh Franchise
Film Review: The Nun Is Campy Fun, But Relies on Some Bad Habits
Expanding the ever-widening Conjuring universe, this origin story/prequel of one of the universe’s spookiest threats is downright silly – which may not be the worst thing. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Horror is arguably the genre that is the most dependent on its predecessors; every generation of horror filmmakers tries to recapture the ... Film Review: The Nun Is Campy Fun, But Relies on Some Bad Habits
Film Review: Sierra Burgess Is a Loser Mistakes Frumpy for Failure
Netflix updates Cyrano de Bergerac for the social media era in this clunky teen rom-com, which distastefully hinges on a young girl’s perceived unattractiveness. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Now that they have a smash hit in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Netflix needs to up its game in providing youth-oriented ... Film Review: Sierra Burgess Is a Loser Mistakes Frumpy for Failure
Film Review: Kin Misfires With Egregious Sci-fi Sequel Baiting
Jack Reynor keeps his brother and his big-ass gun safe in this tepid late-August shoot-em-up, its characters as mild as its ambitions. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Detroit has had a bit of a film renaissance in the 2010s, so much so that the city could be classified as its own sub-genre itself. ... Film Review: Kin Misfires With Egregious Sci-fi Sequel Baiting
35 Years Later, Cujo Remains a Scary, Shaky Stephen King Adaptation
Lewis Teague’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Cujo turns thirty-five today, and is a perfect example of the thrills and pitfalls experienced by the average King film adaptation. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood August marks 35 years since the release of the movie adaptation of Stephen King’s Cujo. A modest hit at the box ... 35 Years Later, Cujo Remains a Scary, Shaky Stephen King Adaptation
Ken Marino’s Canine Comedy Dog Days is Ruff Around the Edges
While trying to chase both sentimentality and laughs, Ken Marino’s ensemble canine comedy ends up barking up the wrong tree. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood If you knew Ken Marino from his roles in cult comedy TV shows and movies (The State, Wet Hot American Summer, Party Down), you might go into his ... Ken Marino’s Canine Comedy Dog Days is Ruff Around the Edges
Fantasia 2018: Hurt Is Blumhouse’s Latest, Spookiest, Most Uneven Scare-Fest
Blumhouse’s latest thriller is tense and deceptively clever, but undoes its thrills with no shortage of irritating fakeouts. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Trauma appears to be the monster in Sonny Mallhi’s Hurt, but things aren’t exactly as they seem. While the Blumhouse-produced thriller maintains an almost uncomfortable sense of tension, it suffers ... Fantasia 2018: Hurt Is Blumhouse’s Latest, Spookiest, Most Uneven Scare-Fest
Skyscraper Review: The Rock Cooks Up Another Underdone Summer Thriller
While the Rock maintains his larger-than-life presence, this taller Die Hard knockoff buckles under the weight of its sizeable lack of humor. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Ever since my childhood days of watching professional wrestling, I’ve wanted Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to succeed. Whether it was in the ring (where he would ... Skyscraper Review: The Rock Cooks Up Another Underdone Summer Thriller
INTERVIEW: Bruce LaBruce on The Misandrists, Pornography and Feminist Brain-Swapping
We interview queersploitation provacateur Bruce LaBruce about queer cinema, working on a low budget, and his latest feminist satire The Misandrists. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Arthouse queer enfant terrible Bruce LaBruce has crafted an interesting career as an underground director of gory, sexy, splatter-ific screeds on radical topics like terrorism, feminism, and gay ... INTERVIEW: Bruce LaBruce on The Misandrists, Pornography and Feminist Brain-Swapping
The Misandrists Review: Bawdy, Transgressive Satire from Bruce LaBruce
Bruce LaBruce’s reputation as a bad-taste provocateur gleefully continues with this campy exercise in sex, sleaze, and political satire. This piece was originally published on Alcohollywood A transgressive artist’s main job should be to make people uncomfortable, and director Bruce LaBruce does his job very well. For over thirty years, LaBruce has been mixing art ... The Misandrists Review: Bawdy, Transgressive Satire from Bruce LaBruce
TAU Review: Netflix’s Perplexing Smart House Thriller
Netflix’s latest thriller about a young girl trapped in a smart house is pure, unapologetic schlock, with workmanlike performances and plot holes you could throw a supercomputer through. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Tau, Netflix’s latest original fim, tells the story of Julia (Maika Monroe), a street-smart gal who uses her wiles to steal ... TAU Review: Netflix’s Perplexing Smart House Thriller
SuperFly Review: A Gritty Remake That’s Far From Groovy
Director X’s slick, hip-hop fueled remake of the blaxploitation classic trades in 70s crime for music video slickness, and is none the better for it. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Beyond its artistic and entertainment value, a film is also a snapshot of the era in which it was made. In film, we ... SuperFly Review: A Gritty Remake That’s Far From Groovy