Movie review: The Vault

 

 Two estranged sisters are forced to join together and rob a bank to save their brother. The planning complete, they are ready for anything. Except maybe a haunted bank vault.

James Franco (Ed), Scott Haze (Michael), Taryn Manning (Vee), Francesca Eastwood (Leah), Q'orianka Kilcher (Susan), Jeff Gum (Aiken), Clifton Collins Jr. (Det. Iger), Keith Loneker (Cyrus), Jill Clements (Mary).

The Vault begins with the team in the bank and beginning their robbery. But it doesn't take long before things start getting strange, and stop making sense. As the robbery goes a bit wonky, the heist team begins to realize something isn't quite right with this bank. The remainder of the film is an unusual mix of crime, drama, and horror that is fairly interesting.

Manning and Eastwood really carried this one. Both did nicely and appeared to work well together. Franco was decent in a smaller role. Haze, Collins, Kilcher and the rest were solid and enjoyable.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were fairly well done for the most part. The layout of the bank was never laid out well and darker scenes in the basement were difficult. Action scenes and horror were well done with some lovely gore. Dialogue was okay but could have easily explained much more behind the plot. Sound and soundtrack are okay.

All in all, The Vault is an entertaining horror flick with a fairly unusual plot that is both interesting and entertaining. What it doesn't have is a lot of energy or character investment. Those who enjoy a solid horror flick with some action should enjoy this one.

Released: 2017
Reviewed: 2.8.18
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Horror, Thrillers, Supernatural Horror, Supernatural Thriller, Crime Thriller

copyright ©2018 Dave Riedel

Movie review: Atomic Blonde

 

 Spy Lorraine is sent to Berlin in 1989, just as the wall is coming down, to investigate the death of another agent and retrieve the list of double agents he was carrying. Teaming with the embedded Berlin station chief, Lorraine finds deception at every turn.

Charlize Theron (Lorraine), James McAvoy (David), Eddie Marsan (Spyglass), John Goodman (Kurzfeld), Toby Jones (Eric Gray), James Faulkner ©, Roland Moller (Bremovych), Sofia Boutella (Delphine), Bill Skarsgard (Merkel).

Atomic Blonde is a story about a story as spy Lorraine recounts for her bosses her efforts to retrieve a lost list of double agents. As she tells her story, the film flashes back and forth between her time in Berlin and her debriefing, eventually tying everything together. Along the way there is plenty of good action and adventure, married to a plot with some depth. What the film doesn't have is a good ending, feeling rather flat and lifeless in the last few minutes.

Acting was good with Theron selling it pretty well as an action hero. McAvoy was solid and felt very engaged in his role. Goodman and Jones, while in smaller roles, still delivered well. Boutella and Skarsgard were nice additions, adding some depth to the story. The remainder of the cast was solid and enjoyable.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds are solid and well done with an authentic feel. Action scenes are brutally intense and for the most part have a realistic feel. Dialogue is enjoyable with reasonable depth. Sound and soundtrack are awesome with plenty of European based 80's music hits.

While Atomic Blonde is a solid spy action film, it is the action and music rather than the plot that keep this one alive. If intense action peppered with some sexuality and a mild plot are your thing, this film is for you! Theron and McAvoy fans will likely enjoy this the most.

With plenty of intense non-stop bloody exhausting violence, nudity, sexuality, more violence, gore, foul language, more gore and violence, drugs, alcohol, so save this one for the oldest teens and above.

Released: 2017
Reviewed: 2.8.18
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Genre: Action & Adventure, Crime Action, Mystery, Action Thriller, Spy films

copyright ©2018 Dave Riedel

Movie review: Fast Sofa

 

 After being robbed, drug-pushing urban cowboy Rick hits the road in search of a famous porn star with which he is obsessed. Along the way he encounters a variety of odd characters.

Jake Busey (Rick), Crispin Glover (Jules), Natasha Lyonne (Tamara), Adam Goldberg (Jack), Eric Roberts (Robinson), Jennifer Tilly (Ginger), Vijou Phillips (Tracy), Lee Ving (Leather Jacket), Darling Narita (Iona).

Fast Sofa is an unusual film reminding us of Pulp Fiction and other Tarantino films. The story is strange but simple; Rick is robbed and decides to hit the road in search of Ginger, his favorite adult actress. Of course, the journey is peppered with unusual characters and events. The result feels like a strange story of stalking with some animal cruelty thrown in for giggles. Best scene, Busey as Rick nailing Tilly as Ginger outdoors in the hills of Hollywood.

Acting was okay with Busey, Glover, and Tilly all doing fairly well and appearing to work well together. Lyonne was okay, and Goldberg was simply annoying as always. Roberts was a fitting addition and did pretty well, as did the remainder of the supporting cast.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds are a little rough but overall okay. Action scenes are mild but solid. Dialogue is campy, corny, and a complete nightmare at times. Sound and soundtrack are okay.

Overall Fast Sofa something of a miss as far as a film. The storyline is a bit ridiculous, acting is mediocre at best, and technical work is pretty rough around the edges. Fans of Tilly may enjoy this one for a few select scenes but not much else.

With nudity, fairly explicit sexuality, foul language, and more, save this one for adults and above.

Released: 2001
Reviewed: 2.5.18
Star rating: 1 out of 5
Genre: Independent films, Indie Comedies, Adventure, Drama

copyright ©2018 Dave Riedel