Friday, December 30, 2016

Movie review: A Christmas Horror Story

This anthology proves not all Christmas stories are sugar and spice. Follow four tales of Christmas horror told by a radio host with Santa battling zombie elves, a terrifying Christmas spirit, Santa slaying evil, and a student documentary that turns bloody.

William Shatner (Dangerous Dan), George Buza (Santa), Rob Archer (Krampus), Alex Ozerov (Ben), Shannon Kook (Dylan), Amy Forsyth (Caprice), Jeff Clarke (Taylor), Michelle Nolden (Diane), Adrian Holmes (Scott).

A Christmas Horror Story weaves together four tales of horror, consecutively sharing pieces of each story until their conclusion. While the stories are good, the method of storytelling helps maintain audience interest. Zombie elves was a whole lot of fun, and Krampus was wonderfully terrifying. The stories move along at a good pace and remain entertaining through the end.

Acting was enjoyable with Shatner as the radio announcer as an added bonus. And Buza was a superb Santa. While there are simply too many to mention by name, everyone did nicely in the film with good delivery, emotion, and chemistry.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were good with nice variety and a solid feel. Multiple sets and settings helped give the stories separate identities while maintaining continuity. Costuming was particularly well done with Krampus being exceptional. CGI and action scenes were nicely done with good detail. Dialogue was solid, as was sound and soundtrack.

Overall A Christmas Horror Story is a well done film and a nice distraction from all the fluffy happiness that typically surrounds the holiday. Those looking for a different take on Christmas, and who know there is a dark side to everything, should enjoy this one while traditionalists will probably cry in their egg nog.

With some mild sexuality, blood, gore, violence, disturbing images, and foul language, this should be fine for teens and above.

Released: 2015
Reviewed: 12.18.16
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Genre: Holiday Horror, Zombies, Horror, Supernatural Horror

copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Movie review: Krampus

Santa Claus brings gifts, joy, and good cheer for the holidays. His little known counterpart, Krampus, brings punishment and pain. Be careful what you wish for.

Emjay Anthony (Max), Adam Scott (Tom), Toni Collette (Sarah), Stefania Owen (Beth), Krista Stadler (Omi), Conchata Ferrell (Aunt Dorothy), Allison Tolman (Linda), David Koechner (Howard), Luke Hawker (Krampus).

Santa Claus is known for the joy and happiness he brings to the good children at Christmas. Less well known is his counterpart Krampus, who focuses on those who have been naughty. When Max writes a Christmas wish list in a fit of depression and anger, it is intercepted by Krampus who in a twisted way, will grant Max's wishes.

Krampus is a twisted story further warped by the twisted presentation. With some dark humor and grotesque creatures obviously resulting from a psychotic episode, the story is engaging and holds interest very well. Add in some gore, drama, and tension and we are left with a nicely done fantasy horror that puts a new twist on Christmas.

Acting was decent with Scott and Koechner almost in a joint lead role. Fortunately they worked well together and led the film nicely. Collette was decent if slightly bland, while Ferrell brought her usual cynical snark. Stadler was interesting and, along with Anthony and the remainder of the cast, rounded out the film well.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were enjoyable with a natural feel. The real gem here however was representation of the creatures in the film which was very good and added excellent body to the film using CGI, costuming, and animatronics. Dialogue was campy and fun. Sound and soundtrack were fitting.

Overall Krampus is a wonderful addition to the long list of happy holiday films for those of us who enjoy seeing the darker side of things once in a while. Instead of ripping wrapping, show us some shredded flesh! Those who enjoy a seasonal horror flick should enjoy this one, while those who celebrate traditionally will no doubt be disappointed if not offended.

With plenty of disturbing images, violence, some gore, and a bit of foul language, this should be fine for teens and above. Kids who still worship Santa probably should not watch this one.

Released: 2015
Reviewed: 12.17.16
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Genre: Dark Humor, Monsters, Fantasy Horror, Christmas, Horror

copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel

Monday, December 26, 2016

Movie review: Captain America: Civil War

The government has had enough collateral damage by the Avengers and wants them reined in under U.N. control. With Iron Man agreeing, and Captain America refusing, the two quickly become foes and the Avengers divided in a less than civil war.

Chris Evans (Steve/Captain America), Robert Downey Jr. (Tony/Iron Man), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha/Black Widow), Sebastian Stan (Bucky/Winter Soldier), Anthony Mackie (Sam/Falcon), Don Cheadle (Rhodes/War Machine), Jeremy Renner (Clint/Hawkeye), Chadwick Boseman (T'Challa/Black Panther), Paul Bettany (Vision), Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda/Scarlet Witch), Paul Rudd (Scott/Ant-Man).

The Avengers are keeping us safe but some collateral damage has driven the governments of the world to call for them to be controlled by the United Nations. While Tony and a few others agree, Steve and others do not, resulting in a rift that degenerates into a battle between the two factions.

While this sounds good on the surface, the film feels ridiculously rushed and thin on both plot and character development. The premise itself is thin to begin with, followed by some of the Avengers submitting to government control which is hard to believe. The film then continues with some ridiculously large plot holes and timeline issues. Stark mentoring SpiderMan is ridiculous, as are some other contrived plot points. As a result the film feels like a forced drama with a minor focus on CGI.

As usual, acting was very well done from everyone involved which, with a star studded cast like this, requires more space to comment upon than we have here. Suffice to say, acting was top-notch and enjoyable as always.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were nicely done but degraded by some lower quality CGI that was absolutely obvious and rough. Surprising since CGI appears to have been a focus of the film. Action scenes were quite good, numerous, and another obvious focus of the film. Dialogue was decent, as was sound and soundtrack.

Overall Captain America: Civil War is a nicely done superhero gang war, but nothing more. CGI is disappointing, the plot is swiss cheese and muddies the timeline, and character development is stalled. Superhero fans may enjoy this one, but Marvel fans may be somewhat disappointed.

With plenty of violence both graphic and intense, and some mild profanity, this should be fine for teens and above.

Released: 2016
Reviewed: 12.14.16
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Action & Adventure, Comic Book Superheroes, Action Sci-Fi, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action Thrillers

copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Movie review: The Messengers

When a strange object crashes to earth emitting an energy pulse, a group of unrelated people die only to resurrect a short time later and learn they must stop the four horsemen of the Apocalypse to ensure humanity survives.

Shantel VanSanten (Vera), Diogo Morgado (The Man), JD Pardo (Raul), Joel Courtney (Peter), Jon Fletcher (Joshua), Sofia Black-D'Elia (Erin), Anna Diop (Rose), Craig Frank (Alan), Madison Dellamea (Amy), Brittany O'Grady (Nadia), Jessika Van (Koa).

The Messengers begins nicely with some good mystery and intrigue as an object crashing to earth emits an unusual energy pulse. The energy pulse kills a small group of people who soon resurrect to find they have acquired supernatural powers. Soon after the group learn they are Messengers from God tasked with stopping the four horsemen of the Apocalypse and saving humanity.

Cancelled after one season, The Messengers is an interesting story that blends sci-fi, religion, action, and drama nicely. The plot moves at a good pace and the series holds interest pretty well. Sadly, the ending which was designed as a cliffhanger instead leaves us feeling cheated and empty.

In case you are confused, and from the reviews many are, this is a sci-fi and in no way religiously accurate.

Acting was enjoyable here with nicely done performances from everyone. Morgado was particularly enjoyable with good energy and expression. VanSanten and Van were other bright spots with nice delivery throughout. The remainder of the cast was solid and fit the series well.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were good and consistent with a mainstream TV series. Action scenes and CGI were well done, adding depth and reality to the series. Dialogue was solid and moved the storyline along at a good pace. Sound and soundtrack were mild but fitting.

Overall The Messengers is another decent series that suffered the fate of cancellation. While the Season 1 ending is disappointing, had the series not been cancelled that might not be the case. Sci-Fi and apocalypse fans should enjoy this one. Those hoping for a religious series will be disappointed and apparently confused.

With some violence and potentially disturbing images, this should actually be fine for teens and above.

Released: 2015
Reviewed: 12.9.16
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: TV Sci-Fi & Fantasy, TV Sci-Fi Mystery, TV Drama, Sci-Fi

copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel

Friday, December 23, 2016

Movie review: The House of Small Cubes

This 12 minute animated short film follows a widower whose town is steadily being submerged. Continuously adding levels to his home solves his immediate problem, but losing his pipe creates another which brings back a flood of memories.

From Director Kunio Kato comes this unusual and unique animated short film. The House of Small Cubes observes a widower whose town is being continuously flooded and his strange solution; to constantly add additional levels to his home. As he builds the house up, he also has to move up as the lower levels continue to flood. One day losing his favorite pipe into the lower levels of his home, his search brings back memories of his life.

Animation felt a bit crude but at the same time, interesting. Lacking dialogue, this one was pretty quiet, though sound was good.

The House of Small Cubes is a surprisingly enjoyable short film despite the lack of dialogue. The story is clear, concise, and well told. Those who enjoy unique foreign anime should enjoy this the most.

Nothing here to limit audience age.

Released: 2008
Reviewed: 12.1.16
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Genre: Animation, Short, Drama, Anime, Anime Drama

copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Movie review: Million Pound Motors

Finding exotic and rare vintage cars for wealthy clients is big business. Follow along with broker Richard Biddulph and see inside the world of vintage auto brokering.

Richard Biddulph

Richard is a high end auto-broker who seeks out and acquires ridiculously priced vintage cars for his ridiculously wealthy clients. While the cars are interesting we just don't get enough detail about them, instead wasting time on the mistakes of a new salesman. Making matters worse, those who can afford the cars don't seem to appreciate them or even worse, view them simply as an investment. The result is essentially a tease with only a small taste of the cars.

Biddulph was okay, if a bit stuffy at times.

Camera work didn't focus nearly enough on the cars or their details. Being a documentary scenery is somewhat incidental and actually dry in this one. Dialogue was mediocre but natural. Sound was okay.

While cars are interesting, and expensive rare cars even more so, Million Pound Motors felt like it was more about pumping the company than it was about the cars. Car detail and history was somewhat lacking, while ego and impressions were not.

Those who enjoy unique car shows may enjoy this one. Others wanting detail on the cars will be somewhat disappointed.

Nothing here to limit audience age.

Released: 2015
Reviewed: 12.1.16
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Documentaries, British Documentaries, Automobile Documentaries

copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel

Monday, December 19, 2016

Movie review: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Superman is happily protecting humanity from his home in Metropolis while Batman fights crime in Gotham City. But when Batman realizes Superman comes from the same world as beings who have tried to exterminate humans the two must come to terms.

Ben Affleck (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Henry Cavill (Clark Kent/Superman), Amy Adams (Lois), Jesse Eisenberg (Lex Luthor), Diane Lane (Martha Kent), Laurence Fishburne (Perry White), Jeremy Irons (Alfred), Holly Hunter (Senator Finch), Gal Gadot (Diana Prince/Wonder Woman), Scoot McNairy (Wallace), Tao Okamoto (Mercy).

We all know Superman comes from the same planet as those who have tried to destroy humanity, but that he is now our protector. Batman however, fears that the actions of Superman are unchecked and he could at any moment decide to destroy us. Superman, now believing Batman is a vigilante, is happy to engage in a superhero fight. In the meantime, Lex Luthor begins plotting against Superman while Wonder Woman shows up for the fun as well.

While this all sounds fine and dandy, it is actually a superhero mess. Aside from the repetitive history lessons showing us how both Batman and Superman came to be, the plot is a hot mess that seems to create more inconsistencies with franchise than anything else. The result is a confusing and frustrating film that somewhat betrays the quality of the franchise.

Affleck was okay as Batman, though he felt stiff in the action scenes. Cavill felt overly brooding and dark as Superman and inconsistent with the character. While Gadot did well as Wonder Woman she also raised questions of consistency. Eisenberg was enjoyable with good quirky energy while Irons, Adams, Lane and the remainder of the cast did nicely.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were heavily integrated with CGI which was fairly well done. Action scenes were decent but unable to overcome the storyline. Dialogue was mediocre, and Cavill's lack of lines was simply disappointing. Sound and soundtrack were okay.

Overall Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice feels like a miss. The film takes a dark approach, lacks clarity and story consistency, and even alters character background. While younger viewers may enjoy this one, older franchise fans will likely be disappointed.

With some mild nudity and sexuality, plenty of violence, some foul language, and potentially disturbing images, this should be fine for teens and above.

Released: 2016
Reviewed: 11.28.16
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Action & Adventure, Comic Book Superheroes, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Action, Blockbusters, Action Thriller

copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Movie review: Kathleen Madigan: Bothering Jesus

Irish American comedian Kathleen Madigan pontificates and complains on topics such as her family, Uber drivers, alcohol, and anything to do with bacon.

Kathleen Madigan

Kathleen Madigan: Bothering Jesus has Kathy once again expounding on a variety of subjects with her trademark quips and focus on daily life. While she can still bring the laughs and her wide range of topics keeps things interesting, she really sounded more like she was simply complaining and condescending in this show. Previous shows have been much funnier and she seemed to have a lot more energy.

Kathy on stage was the extent of the acting. Nothing exciting but she did fine.

Camera work, lighting, and staging are good and consistent with what you would expect from stand-up comedy. No light shows, fireworks, or fancy video here. Sound is reasonable.

While I do enjoy Kathy's comedy, this show just didn't measure up to some of her previous. There were some good laughs but none of the side-splitting, eye-watering comedy of her past.

This should be fine for older teens and above.

Released: 2016
Reviewed: 11.16.16
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Stand-up Comedy, Comedy, Comedies

copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel

Friday, December 16, 2016

Movie review: The Elegant Gentleman's Guide to Knife Fighting

The Elegant Gentleman's Guide to Knife Fighting is a six-part Australian sketch comedy. The satirical series presents a strange look at different subjects such as; Amish IT, a Prius lover, astronauts, and zombies.

Craig Anderson, Damon Herriman, Darren Gilshenan, Dave Eastgate, Georgina Haig, Janis McGavin, Patrick Brammall, Phil Lloyd, Robin McLeavy, Charlie Garber, Glenn Hazeldine, Rachel Gordon, Jane Harber.

The Elegant Gentleman's Guide to Knife Fighting is a six part sketch comedy series from Australia. Each episode contains multiple skits of varying length that focus on a variety of topics. While the humor is good at the start of each episode, it often doesn't last past the first few minutes. Some have a few twists, several are directly sarcastic and hypocritical, and even fewer depend on intelligence to value the humor.

Acting was good with Anderson, Herriman, Gilshenan, McGavin, Brammall, Lloyd, Haig, and the remainder of the main cast doing quite well. The supporting cast was also enjoyable and fairly good.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were a mix given the numerous skits and variety of subjects but overall each was well done. Action scenes were mild but enjoyable and fitting. Dialogue was decent but didn't quite land the laughs it was obviously intended to generate. Sound and soundtrack were mild but good.

The Elegant Gentleman's Guide to Knife Fighting while mildly interesting and entertaining is likely going to appeal to a narrow audience. The humor never really develops beyond a chuckle at which point the episodes are simply strange.

Those who enjoy sketch comedies and British or Australian humor will enjoy this the most. Those looking for depth or persistent current humor may be disappointed.

With some edgy comedy, mild violence and sexuality, this should be fine for older teens and above.

Released: 2013
Reviewed: 11.16.16
Star rating: 2 out of 5
Genre: TV Shows, TV Sketch Comedies, TV Comedies, Comedy

copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Movie review: Hell and Back

When Curt borrows a mint from Remy, promising to pay him back before immediately reneging, the two and friend Augie are transported to hell where Curt is scheduled for execution. Remy and Augie are also scheduled to be killed simply for being in hell.

Nick Swardson (Remy), Mila Kunis (Deema), Bob Odenkirk (Devil), T.J. Miller (Augie), Rob Riggle (Curt), Susan Sarandon (Barb), Danny McBride (Orpheus), Maria Bamford (Gloria), Lance Bass (Boy Band Demon).

Hell and Back is one of those films that, even as you can't look away you know is causing brain damage. The storyline is a mix of contradiction, hypocrisy, and mythological contradictions apparently meant to be funny. While there are a few laughs, the humor feels as if it came from a couple of high school stoners. Add that to the strange stop-motion animation and you still don't quite have a complete film.

The high quality cast in this one is quite a surprise given the lackluster entertainment value of the film. That said, everyone did a wonderful job with the voice work and from that perspective, the film was enjoyable.

Did I mention Hell and Back is animated? Animation was a strange stop-motion approach that felt immature and rough which didn't help the film much. Yet, it was oddly fitting given the plot and theme. Dialogue was campy, infrequently silly, and more frequently tepid. Sound and soundtrack were pretty good.

In the end Hell and Back is a bit disappointing. The humor doesn't quite hit the mark, nor do the visuals. The best part about this one is the voice work which just isn't quite enough to make it entertaining.

With plenty of crotch humor, sexuality, animated violence and gore, and persistent foul language, this should be fine for teens and above.

Released: 2015
Reviewed: 11.16.16
Star rating: 2 out of 5
Genre: Adult Animation, Dark Comedies, Late Night Comedy, Comedy, Adventure

copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel

Monday, December 12, 2016

Movie review: Embers

After a global pandemic, survivors find they no longer have the ability to create memories. Unable to remember who they are, or who anyone else is, they search for connection while living entirely in the moment.

Jason Ritter (Guy), Iva Gocheva (Girl), Greta Fernandez (Miranda), Tucker Smallwood (Teacher), Karl Glusman (Chaos), Roberto Cots (Father), Dominique Swain (Woman in dress), Matthew Goulish (Guardian), Silvan Friedman (Boy).

Embers begins without much explanation as we awaken with Guy and Girl and quickly learn they don't remember a thing. With the passing of a day, and the addition of more characters, we realize the inability to create memories is universal. At this point the variety of characters and how each deals with their unusual illness becomes the main plot. The remainder of the film is an emotional learning experience with a slight twist at the end which confirms our suspicions of repetition.

Acting was decent with Ritter putting forth a fairly realistic performance. Gocheva was enjoyable and worked well with Ritter. Smallwood was enjoyable in his role as one of the most reasonable characters. Glusman was solid, even if his character was a jerk, and the remainder of the supporting cast was decent.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were interesting if nothing else. Sets felt realistic and natural and camera work was good. Action scenes were mild, as was violence. Dialogue was a bit bland and lacking. Exactly what happened was never fully explained, nor was the current situation of several characters. Sound and soundtrack were solid.

While Embers is an unusual and fairly original story which holds interest well, the film lacks energy and depth leaving us somewhat disappointed. Those who enjoy dramas or indie dramas should enjoy this one while sci-fi fans likely will not.

Embers comes complete with only mild sexuality and violence so it should be fine for teens and above.

Released: 2015
Reviewed: 11.16.16
Star rating: 1 out of 5
Genre: Drama, Independent Drama, Indie Movies, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi Drama

copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Movie review: Criminal

With a global terrorist threat looming, the one CIA operative able to stop it has been killed. Implementing a bold plot, the dead CIA agent's memories are transplanted into a condemned prisoner.

Kevin Costner (Jerico), Gary Oldman (Quaker), Tommy Lee Jones (Dr. Franks), Ryan Reynolds (Pope), Jordi Molla (Heimdahl), Gal Gadot (Jill Pope), Michael Pitt (Strook/The Dutchman), Amaury Nolasco (Ruiza).

Criminal begins with a brief bit of backstory and character introduction before CIA agent Pope is killed and the main plot shows up. After Pope's memories are transferred to Jerico things get much more interesting with the global terrorist plot underway and the two men's minds fighting for control of Jerico. The rest of the film is a mild crime action adventure with a somewhat familiar plot and surprising lack of audience engagement.

Acting was a bit disappointing in Criminal. Costner, though he delivered nicely, was reduced to a grunting angry guy with few lines. Reynolds could have phoned in his part as it was little more than a cameo. Oldman did well with good energy presentation. Jones was a nice addition, as was Molla, and added some much needed depth. The remainder of the supporting cast was solid.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were solid with nice background variety and good technical work. Action scenes were solid and fitting. Dialogue was enjoyable though a bit more depth would have added a lot to the film. Sound and soundtrack were fitting.

Criminal was entertaining and technically decent, but the film doesn't come close to being as entertaining as you would expect given the cast. The story doesn't add much to the genre, the plot and energy never mature, and what we end up with is a decent entry in the crime action genre.

With a fair amount of graphic violence and gore, this one should be fine for older teens and above.

Released: 2016
Reviewed: 11.16.16
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Crime Action, Crime Drama, Action & Adventure, Action Sci-Fi & Fantasy

copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel

Friday, December 9, 2016

Movie review: True Memoirs of an International Assassin

Sam is a writer whose debut novel about a deadly international assassin is changed from fiction to non-fiction by his agent, landing him squarely in the world of his lead character. His only option, become the character he created.

Kevin James (Sam/Mason), Kim Coates (President Mike), Maurice Compte (Juan), Zulay Henao (Rosa), Andrew Howard (Masovich), Ron Rifkin (Amos), Andy Garcia (El Toro), Katie Couric (Herself), Yul Vazquez (Gen. Ruiz).

True Memoirs of an International Assassin, a streaming video original, is a light and funny campy comedy that doesn't take itself too seriously. Sam has written a fiction novel about an international assassin but when his agent changes genre to non-fiction Sam believed to be the assassin, making him a target for everyone. Becoming his character the only chance for survival, Sam teams up with Rosa and finds he might make a better assassin than expected.

Acting was decent with James once again in a role type that seems to suit him well. Coates was a decent antagonist, and in type as well. Henao was enjoyable and fit pretty well. Howard was once again perfectly disturbing. The remainder of the supporting cast was solid and enjoyable throughout.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were good for what was likely a mid-budget film. Action scenes were enjoyable while being over the top, excessive, and hysterical. Dialogue was enjoyable with some good laughs and nice movement. Sound and soundtrack were solid.

While True Memoirs of an International Assassin may not be groundbreaking, the film is a lot of fun and would be a great choice for family movie night with some appeal to adults as well as teens.

Violence, which is action focused, is really the only concern here and it is mild enough this should be fine for teens and above.

Released: 2016
Reviewed: 11.12.16
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Genre: Action Comedy, Action & Adventure, Spy comedy, Comedy

copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Movie review: Louis C.K.: Live at the Comedy Store

Louis C.K. is back with another special focusing his comic talent on dead pets, kitchen bats, rat intimacy, and Boston accents among other topics.

Louis chooses some interesting topics to examine, and often has an unusual perspective as well. That said, some of his bits are a hit such as kitchen bats, while others like rat intimacy are not. And other segments felt as if they weren't fully baked and he was just testing them. Rather than feeling like a comedy special from an experienced comedian, this felt more like audience stand-up night at a local club.

This one is a mixed bag to be sure. Some fans may enjoy it while others will miss the quality he used to exhibit. Those not familiar with Louis C.K. may enjoy this more than those who are.

With some foul language and sexuality, this should be fine for older teens and above.

Released: 2015
Reviewed: 11.12.16
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Comedy, Stand-up comedy, Dark comedy

copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel

Monday, December 5, 2016

Movie review: Dana Carvey: Straight While Male, 60

Comedian Dana Carvey examines Hitler, Chinese factory workers, his role as a father of millennials, and teenagers in this comedy special.

Back again, Dana proves he can still bring the laughs in this comedy special. Tackling topics like millennials, Hitler, and Chinese factory workers he keeps the laughs coming with his silly stories and wise-cracks. While there were some great bits here, there were some that fell flat such as Trump impressions which have grown old.

Technical work, such as it is with stand-up comedy, was well done.

Overall Carvey can still make us laugh, but not quite as much as he used to. While he is absolutely not politically correct and will offend millennials quite easily, between the dead spots there are some good laughs that many will enjoy.

With some mild foul language and questionable material, this should be fine for older teens and above.

Released: 2016
Reviewed: 11.12.16
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Stand-up comedy, political comedy, comedy

copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel

Sunday, December 4, 2016

Movie review: Mr. Magoo

Nearsighted millionaire Mr. Magoo seems to always end up in unusual situations. This time around Magoo accidentally comes into possession of a priceless gem which of course criminals and the government both want.

Leslie Nielsen (Mr. Magoo), Kelly Lynch (Luanne), Matt Keeslar (Waldo), Nick Chinlund (Morgan), Stephen Tobolowsky (Agent Stupak), Ernie Hudson (Agent Anders), Jennifer Garner (Stacey), Malcolm McDowell (Austin), Miguel Ferrer (Ortega Peru).

Mr. Magoo was a fun cartoon and the film does a nice job of bringing him to life. The story is typical bumbling Magoo as he, while completely unaware, comes into possession of a priceless gem. Now with the criminals and the government hot on his heels, and Magoo still quite unaware, we are off and running on a crazy adventure of mishaps and mayhem. The story winds down in typical Magoo style as he remains unaware, bumbling along to his next adventure.

Nielsen was a great fit for the role of Magoo and did a nice job of bringing him to life. Keeslar was enjoyable and fit well with Nielsen. Lynch delivered wonderfully as always, as did Garner, Hudson and the remainder of the well known cast which added a good quality feel to the film.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were nicely done with good attention to detail. Action scenes were fun and fitting, helping bring Magoo to life. Dialogue was campy and fun with some nice chuckles. Sound and soundtrack were both good.

While Mr. Magoo is definitely aimed at younger viewers the film has enough detail and plot, along with decent technical work, to make it a good choice for family movie night.

With some mild sexual innuendo, minimum foul language, and slapstick violence, this should be fine for teens and above.

Released: 1997
Reviewed: 11.12.16
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Children & Family films, Comedy, Adventure, Family

copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel

Friday, December 2, 2016

Movie review: Sacrifice

Surgeon Tora and her husband move temporarily to the remote Shetland Islands off the coast of Scotland in hopes of adopting a child. Instead Tora uncovers a disturbingly mutilated corpse in her yard that leads to even more disturbing pagan rituals.

Radha Mitchell (Tora), Rupert Graves (Duncan), Ian McElhinney (D.I. McKie), David Robb (Richard), Hilary Rose (Janice), Joanne Crawford (Sgt. Tulloch), Megan Riordan (Janet), Liam Carney (Mr. Grey), Peter Vollebregt (Wickliff).

Sacrifice begins well enough with character introductions that roll smoothly into the main plot. As Tora and her husband engage in a strict adoption process requiring their move to a remote island, things get much more interesting. Tora uncovers a horribly mutilated female corpse in their yard which leads her to uncover some disturbing pagan rituals. While this builds the mystery well, the mystery itself isn't very deep, leaving entertainment to plot points and action scenes which are largely mediocre. The film ends quietly with few surprises.

Acting was decent with Mitchell delivering well. Graves also did nicely and played well against Mitchell. Crawford was enjoyable as well, bringing a bit more depth to things. The remainder of the cast was solid throughout.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were good with nice execution and well used natural scenery. Action scenes were mild but solid. Dialogue exposed nice depth and kept things moving along. Sound and soundtrack were typical for a reasonably budgeted film.

Sacrifice ends up being a fairly well done film incorporating mild horror, mystery, and thriller aspects in a solid storyline. Technical work is good and acting solid, however the film generates only medium engagement with the audience. Those who enjoy lighter horror should enjoy this one.

There is some fairly graphic gore, and violence, but this should be fine for older teens and above.

Released: 2016
Reviewed: 11.12.16
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Irish Films

copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel

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