Season of the Witch

Director: Dominic Sena
Writer: Bragi F. Schut
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Ron Pearlman, Claire Foy

A knight who deserted his command during the crusades after losing his faith is tasked by the church to transport a young girl accused of being a witch to a remote monastery where she will stand trial.  Accompanied by a motley crew that includes a friend and fellow knight, a priest, a young man who wants to earn his knighthood and a man who has lost his family to the plague, the group sets forth to deliver the girl unaware of the real perils they will face.    

I didn’t expect much from this movie and that’s exactly what I got.  This movie was horrible from start to finish.  Looking at this from a non bias view I can’t honestly think of anything that can redeem this movie, absolutely nothing.  I’ve long since come to the conclusion that Nicolas Cage has to be one of the worst actors in film today.  His performances are either incredibly over the top or completely wooden.  He has long since reached a point that puts him on the same level as Keanu Reeves. 

The acting by everyone involved seemed dialed in, the script was full of bad dialogue and the action if you call it that was very weak.    The special effects couldn’t even add a visual distraction to try and make amends for the rest of the garbage that was being thrown on screen.  The locations and some of the set designs seemed like the only things that had any thought or effort put into them.

Over all there isn’t much to say about this movie accept give the good advice to skip this in favor of something else.   

Rating: 1 Reel

The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu

Director: Henry Saine

Writers: Tom Konkle (script consultant), Devin McGinn

Stars: Kyle Davis, Devin McGinn, Matt Bauer

Stuck in a dead end nine to five job average working stiff Jeff looks for change in his boring life. When he and his roommate Charlie discover a strange old man waiting for Jeff in their apartment Jeff’s search has come to an end. Informed that he is the last survivor in a bloodline that reaches back to the famous horror writer H.P. Lovecraft, Jeff is entrusted to protect an ancient relic from falling into the clutches of the vile Star spawn who wishes to release his master the malevolent god Cthulhu. Torn between what he hears and sees Jeff along with Charlie are now thrust into an adventure that could decide the fate of the human race.

This was one of those movies I happened to stumble upon while going through releases in the Netflix instant view queue. Skeptical on what I was about to view I was surprised at how this actually turned out. This is another B movie that provides a good mix of story, humor and horror, but not in the sense of over flowing gore and blood splatter.

The script for this movie was pretty basic but that seemed to be a non factor as it served its purpose in creating some comical and outlandish dialogue along with scenes that all fit together without leaving any serious what just happened moments. The cast which contained a lot of unfamiliar faces did a decent job of carrying their roles with only a few scenes that seemed forced here and there.

As with these lower budget movies that lack both the huge budgets and backing from the well known big name studios this movie succeeds with a little low quality CGI, a small unfamiliar cast, simple plot, nice animation sequences and well done make up effects.

Having seen this plot done many times before this movie still proved to be entertaining. There weren’t any symptoms commonly found in B movies that made me want to shoot myself in the foot two minutes into viewing. Easily accessible on Netflix instant view this movie is worth checking out while available.

Rating: 2 Reels

 

Faster

Director: George Tillman Jr.
Writers: Tony Gayton, Joe Gayton
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton, Maggie Grace

After serving ten years for a botched bank heist, the getaway driver is out and he wants revenge on the people who killed his brother. While pursuing his targets, the driver becomes the target of the killer and a burnt out, soon to retire, cop.

This is a bare bones story of revenge which lacks any material that makes it interesting.  The only thing interesting about the characters is the lack of names, if I remember correctly due to having a hard time paying attention.  I didn't expect a lot from this movie and that's pretty much what I got.  The story was a bore and the acting was painful to watch at points, especially the performance from Oliver Jackson-Cohen.  It's a shame that Dwayne Johnson just hasn't seemed to have found a role suitable for him.  He's proven he has a sense of humor and can hold his own in an action film, so what's the hold up?

It came as no surprise at all that this film was quickly forgotten and had almost no screen time in theaters. This is one of those films that could have just as easily gone directly to DVD or cable.

Rating: 1 Reel

Outpost

Director: Steve Barker
Writers: Rae Brunton (screenplay/story), Kieran Parker (story), Steve Parker (story)
Stars: Ray Stevenson, Richard Brake, Julian Wadham

Hired to escort an engineer into war torn Eastern-Europe to survey a specific section of land for an unknown client, a team of seasoned mercenaries expect nothing more than a routine mission.  What the mercenaries discover is anything but routine when they end up at an abandoned German Bunker from World War II.  Upon entering the structure the men discover the gruesome remains of Nazi experiments and come face to face with an enemy that turns the mission into a fight for survival.

This is a small budget horror film that delivers a decent story without relying on high tech CGI, excessive gore and adding continuous streams of bad dialogue.  With a cast consisting of relatively unfamiliar faces, Ray Stevenson and Richard Brake being the exceptions, it was a nice change compared to seeing the same Hollywood big names reprising similar roles they have played numerous times before. 

Shot using a good mix of shadows, confined spaces and varied lighting this film did a nice job of creating an eerie claustrophobic atmosphere.  It bought to mind another small budget horror film titled Dog Soldiers which is also worth a viewing.  Slightly reminiscent of a story from a late night episode of the Twilight Zone this is a good watch for a super natural themed horror film.

Rating: 2 Reels

The Lincoln Lawyer

Director: Brad Furman
Writers: John Romano (screenplay), Michael Connelly (novel)
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe

When sleazy defense lawyer Mickey Haller takes on what he perceives to be the case of a lifetime defending a wealthy young client accused of rape and attempted murder it soon becomes clear to Mickey he has been ensnared into a case which could prove deadly.  Relying on all his double dealing skills Mickey now has to take on the killer caseload that no lawyers fee can cover.

A typical courtroom thriller this movie doesn't offer much in the way of a plot which hasn't been seen numerous times before. With a run time of nearly two hours this movies felt rushed at times and didn't include a lot of suspense or mystery to keep the audience engaged. 

Matthew McConaughey who plays Mickey Haller brings his familiar charismatic persona to the role which doesn't stray far from performances seen in other films he has starred in.  Although as is the case McConaughey seems like a good choice for this character. Unfortunately the same can't be said for Ryan Philleppe who seems to fall flat in the role of Louis Roulet.  Philleppe just didn't seem too convincing as a defendant desperately trying prove himself not a rapist.  Each scene he was in seemed to miss the mark.  Supporting McConaughey and Philleppe is a cast which includes Maris Tomei, William H. Macy, Josh Lucas and Bryan Cranston. 

Is this worth renting or waiting for cable? I don't think it's a movie you would beat yourself up for spending a few dollars on but cable would serve just as well.

Rating: 2 Reels