Little Women

Film Review by Kam Williams

19^th Century Classic Revisited as Present-Day Coming-of-Age Tale

Published by Louisa May Alcott in 1868, Little Women chronicled the coming of age of Meg (Melanie Stone), Jo (Sarah Davenport), Beth (Allie Jennings) and Amy March (Taylor Murphy), siblings being raised by their mom (Lea Thompson) in Concord, Massachusetts while their absentee father (Bart Johnson) served as a pastor during the Civil War. The semi-autobiographical novel's main characters were ostensibly based on the author and her three sisters.

The iconoclastic opus challenged the status quo by exploring such themes as love, independence and equal rights from a female perspective, challenging the conventional thinking about domesticity and other traditional women's roles. The seminal work's title was inspired by its teenage heroines' loss of innocence on the road to adulthood.

Over the years, Little Women has been brought to the big screen a half-dozen times, most notably the productions featuring Katherine Hepburn (1933), Elizabeth Taylor (1949) and Susan Sarandon (1994). And Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) has already signed to direct another adaptation co-starring Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan and Meryl Streep slated to be released in December of 2019.

This year's version, with a relatively-underwhelming cast, marks the directorial debut of Clare Niederpruem. What does make the movie unique, however, is that it is set in present-day New York. Unfortunately, the film fails to explore current feminist issues, and the result is an unengaging story which feels terribly dated instead of groundbreaking.

A disappointing, 21^st Century update that's behind instead of ahead of the times.

Fair (1.5 stars)

Rated PG-13 for mature themes and teen drinking

Running time: 112 minutes

Production Studio: Main Dog Productions / Paulist Productions / Escapology

Studio: Pinnacle Peak Pictures / Pure Flix Entertainment

To see a trailer for Little Women, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku5Huuw7fUU

Destined

Film Review by Kam Williams

Cory Hardrict Stars as Both a Gangsta and an Architect in Alternate Reality, Sci-Fi Saga

Sheed Smith (Cory Hardrict) is a drug dealer roaming Detroit's mean streets in a bloody turf war being waged in the 'hood where he was raised. Meanwhile, his doppelganger, Rasheed Smith (also Cory Hardrict), is an idealistic architect overseeing an urban renewal project designed to revitalize the same ghetto.

However, the two look-a-likes' paths never cross. That's because they exist in parallel universes. You see, Destined is one of those "What if?" affairs set in a couple of alternate realities. Thus, we are able to compare bad boy Sheed's fate to that of his straitlaced alter ego. 

 

The picture was written and directed by Qasim Basir who made a spectacular directorial debut in 2010 with the relatively-moving Mooz-lum. This disappointing sophomore offering earns an A for ambition, if only a C for execution. 

 

Cory Hardrict stars as both Sheed and Rasheed in a split screen saga that flits back and forth between storylines that never intersect. Unfortunately, neither plot is well enough developed to fully engage the viewer. 

 

I suppose Basir was too in love with his bifurcated, sci-fi script to consider jettisoning one-half and fleshing out the other into a full-length feature. Instead, we're treated to a one-trick pony that repeatedly illustrates the diverging fates of a guy who kept his nose clean and that of an identical stranger who ventured to the dark side. 

 

An amusing idea that runs out of steam not long after the premise is established.

Fair (1.5 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 91 minutes
Production Studio: Whitewater Films / Tilted Windmill Productions / Confluential Films
Distributor: XLrator Media

To see a trailer for Destined, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6fzjsU7nqY

Rupture

Film Review by Kam Williams

Abductee Seeks to Escape Kidnappers in Mindbending Sci-fi Thriller

Renee (Noomi Rapace) was leading an unremarkable existence in suburban Kansas City the day she was abducted by five strangers after her car broke down. Until then, she was just an average divorcee' doing her best to shield a young son (Percy Hynes White) from an embittered ex-husband's (Paul Popowich) vicious barbs.

Otherwise, her routine was so drab, between work and helping Evan with his homework, that she decided to add a little spice to her life via skydiving. Then, hours before she got a chance to jump out of a plane as planned, she's kidnapped by the aforementioned quintet with an unspoken agenda. 

 

After being tasered, handcuffed and taped over the mouth, Renee was transported in the back of a panel truck to an unknown location. As she was rolled into the facility while lying on a gurney, she passes another captive who ominously warns, "They need us!" 

 

Soon, Renee's chained down in a cell where she finds herself being interrogated by jailers who obviously already know a lot about her, like the fact that she has a son and a terrible fear of spiders. However, they refuse to reveal why she's been taken hostage. 

 

Luckily, the fellow in the very next cell (Jonathan Potts) is willing to share what little he knows, once their torturers are out of earshot. He whispers that there are about 20 other inmates and he also cryptically makes reference to "G-10-12-X," whatever that means. 

 

That is the intriguing point of departure for Rupture, a mindbending, sci-fi thriller directed and co-written by Steven Shainberg (Secretary). While the setup is kinda cool, unfortunately, the picture unfolds like your typical M. Night Shyamalan production whose mystery is ultimately resolved by a rabbit out of the hat resolution. 

 

Getting there is all the fun in this paint-by-numbers affair which has the ingenious heroine resorting to one of the oldest cinematic cliches by escaping via the ventilation system. Just don't let anyone spoil the conclusion, or you'll have no reason to check out this hackneyed horror yarn co-starring Peter Stormare, Kerry Bishe' and Michael Chiklis.

They're coming to take me away, ha-ha!

Fair (1.5 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 101 minutes
Distributor: AMBI Media Group


To see a trailer for Rupture, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmqEmhkKeaA 

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Film Review by Kam Williams

Latest DC Comics Adaptation Pits the Man of Steel against the Caped Crusader


Let's face it, Christian Bale's Batman was going to be a hard act for any actor to follow, especially Ben Affleck who had already proved underwhelming as a superhero when he played Daredevil back in 2003. And the departure from the franchise of Chris Nolan, the legendary director of the critically-acclaimed Dark Knight trilogy, only served to lower expectations even further. 
 
Thus, it's no surprise that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice would indeed prove to be a bitter disappointment. The picture was directed by Zack Snyder who also helmed the 2013 reboot of Superman, called Man of Steel.

The first problem with this terribly-flawed, second offering in the DC Extended Universe series rests in its interminable 2-and-1/2 hour running time that could have easily been trimmed down to less than 90 minutes. For example, why bother revisit the backstory about what inspired Bruce Wayne to become Batman, when the murder of his parents had previously been addressed in numerous other episodes?

The second issue with the production has to do with Batman and Superman's (Henry Cavill) being cast as adversaries for the bulk of the film. Yes, the source of the tension between the two is adequately explained, but the audience nevertheless grows increasingly impatient since we'd much rather see our beloved heroes quickly resolve their differences in favor of joining forces to fight a real villain.

After all, there is an eminently detestable adversary waiting in the wings in the person of the diabolical Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg). Too bad this tortoise-paced blockbuster takes forever to arrive at that epic showdown. Instead, we're forced to endure the meaningless machinations of a convoluted adventure less concerned with coherency than with atmospherics, action and special f/x.

Besides those superficial bells and whistles, director Snyder exhibits an annoying fondness for support characters with nothing much to do, from Clark Kent's colleague Jimmy Olsen (Michael Cassidy), to his boss Perry White (Laurence Fishburne), to Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred (Jeremy Irons). The film also features a plethora of cameo appearances by celebrities Neil deGrasse Tyson, Anderson Cooper, Brooke Baldwin, Soledad O'Brien, Nancy Grace and Dana Bash who merely distract from rather than advance the plot.

More enjoyable are the relatively-purposeful roles played by Lois Lane (Amy Adams) and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot). But by the time the long-awaited battle royal with Luthor and his henchman Doomsday (Robin Atkin Downes) finally rolls around, you're so tired of peeking at your watch that you just want it over and done with as fast as possible. Make it stop!

A classic case of moviemaking excess resulting in a patience-testing blockbuster adding up to way less than the sum of its parts. 

 

Fair (1 star)
Rated PG-13 for intense violence, pervasive action and some sensuality
Running time: 151 minutes
Distributor: Warner Brothers Pictures


To see a trailer for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WWzgGyAH6Y

The Big Short

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Dramatization of 2008 Financial Collapse Arrives on DVD

Michael Lewis' The Big Short was an eye-opening best seller chronicling the machinations on the part of a quartet of Wall Street contrarians (played by Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell and Brad Pitt) who accurately forecast the global financial crisis of 2008. The four made a mint by investing in Credit Default Swaps (CDS) in anticipation of the collapse of the market in Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDO). 
 
In layman's terms, these proverbial smartest guys in the room basically bet that the real estate bubble would burst, because of the easy money being lent unqualified borrowers via subprime mortgages. The banks didn't mind making so-called NINJA loans (No Income/No Job) since they would quickly sell the worthless instrument to unsuspecting investors just about as soon as the deals were completed. 
 
Despite a plethora of decent performances, the screen version of The Big Short fails to do justice to the source material. The movie marks Adam McKay's first foray into dramatic fare. The veteran writer/director has enjoyed quite a career in comedy, which is reflected in a resume that includes Anchorman (2004), Talladega Nights (2006), Step Brothers (2008) and The Other Guys (2010), The Campaign (2012), Anchorman 2 (2013) and Get Hard (2015). 
 
Despite winning this year's Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, the film suffers from a few glaring flaws in this critic's humble opinion. The first is the fact that the names of all the key players have been changed. Since this is based on a true story, resorting to fictional characters serves to lessen the intensity of a tale that could've been quite compelling. 
 
The movie is further trivialized by a failure to commit fully to drama, a no-no, given the serious subject matter. After all, no one has been held responsible for the crash, leaving much of the country still miffed about the billion dollar bailout of Wall Street at the expense of Main Street.

Equally annoying are several celebrity cameos by the likes of chef Anthony Bourdain, Aussie actress Margot Robbie and pop diva Selena Gomez. During distracting, fourth-wall breaking appearances, they face the camera to explain the meaning of derivatives and other arcane financial instruments. McKay ostensibly included these interludes to make his jargon-laden script more accessible. 
 
A disappointingly dry lecture in finance strictly with egghead appeal.

Fair (1.5 stars)
Rated R for nudity, sexuality and pervasive profanity
Running time: 130 minutes
Distributor: Paramount Home Entertainment
Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Extras: Deleted scenes; In the Tranches: Casting; The Big Leap: Adam McKay; Unlikely Heroes: The Characters of The Big Short; The House of Cards: The Rise of the Fall; and Getting Real: Recreating an Era.


To see a trailer for The Big Short, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgqG3ITMv1Q

To order a copy of The Big Short Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack, visit:

The BIg Short (FILM REVIEW)

The Big Short
Film Review by Kam Williams




Adaptation of Michael Lewis Best Seller Chronicles Financial Collapse of 2008


Michael Lewis' The Big Short was an eye-opening best seller chronicling the machinations on the part of a quartet of Wall Street contrarians (played by Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell and Brad Pitt) who accurately forecast the global financial crisis of 2008. The four made a mint by investing in Credit Default Swaps (CDS) in anticipation of the collapse of the market in Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDO). 
 
In layman's terms, these proverbial smartest guys in the room basically bet that the real estate bubble would burst, because of the easy money being lent unqualified borrowers via subprime mortgages. The banks didn't mind making so-called NINJA loans (No Income/No Job) since they would quickly sell the worthless instrument to unsuspecting investors just about as soon as the deals were completed. 
 
Despite a plethora of decent performances, the screen version of The Big Short fails to do justice to the source material. The movie marks Adam McKay's first foray into dramatic fare. The veteran writer/director has enjoyed quite a career in comedy, which is reflected in a resume that includes Anchorman (2004), Talladega Nights (2006), Step Brothers (2008) and The Other Guys (2010), The Campaign (2012), Anchorman 2 (2013) and Get Hard (2015). 
 
The film suffers from a few glaring flaws. The first is the fact that the names of all the key players have been changed. Since this is based on a true story, resorting to fictional characters serves to lessen the intensity of a tale that could've been quite compelling. 
 
The movie is further trivialized by a failure to commit fully to drama, a no-no, given the serious subject matter. After all, no one has been held responsible for the crash, leaving much of the country still miffed about the billion dollar bailout of Wall Street at the expense of Main Street. 
 
Equally annoying are several celebrity cameos by the likes of chef Anthony Bourdain, Aussie actress Margot Robbie and pop diva Selena Gomez. During distracting, fourth-wall breaking appearances, they face the camera to explain the meaning of derivatives and other arcane financial instruments. McKay ostensibly included these interludes to make his jargon-laden script more accessible. 
 
A disappointingly dry lecture in finance strictly with egghead appeal that manages to squander the services of an A-list cast composed of Academy Award-winners (Marisa Tomei, Melissa Leo and Christian Bale) and nominees (Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling and Steve Carell).



Fair (1.5 stars)
Rated R for nudity, sexuality and pervasive profanity
Running time: 130 minutes
Distributor: Paramount Pictures


To see a trailer for The Big Short, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgqG3ITMv1Q

The Squeeze (DVD REVIEW)

For photos, visit: http://astore.amazon.com/thslfofire-20/images/B00USBLXL6
Or: http://thesqueezemovie.com/gallery/
Or: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_squeeze_2015/pictures/movie-129576/

The Squeeze
DVD Review by Kam Williams



DVD Features True Tale of High-Stakes Golf Game


Augie Baccas (Jeremy Sumpter) is a God-fearing golfing sensation who credits his phenomenal success on the links to a combination of hard work, talent and a belief in the Almighty. And the promising prodigy is on the verge of leaving his dysfunctional home for the greener pastures of the PGA Tour so that he’ll no longer be mistreated by his abusive stepfather (Elliott Grey) anymore.



But then he’s approached by an unsavory character who rolls into town in a classic convertible with an attractive blonde (Katherine LaNasa) riding shotgun. Reeves “Riverboat” Boatwright (Christopher McDonald) is a brash gambler sporting a thick Southern drawl and enough cash to seduce the youngster into making a deal with the devil.



The plan is to sucker a mark unaware of the kid’s prowess into betting a million dollars against him in a two-man match. Augie’s take will be 10% provided he wins. In Las Vegas, they find what they think is a patsy in Jimmy Diamonds (Michael Nouri), a high-roller with his own golf pro (Jason Dohring).



That is the basic setup of The Squeeze, a pat cat-and-mouse caper marking the writing and directorial debut of Terry Jastrow. Unfortunately, this battle-of-wits’ plot proves way too predictable to hold one’s attention very long.



A moralizing, paint-by-numbers parable lifted right out of the Hollywood hack playbook.



Fair (1.5 stars)
Rated PG-13 for sexuality, profanity, drug use and mature themes
Running time: 95 minutes
Distributor: ARC Entertainment
DVD Extras: None



To see a trailer for The Squeeze, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91f2vHdkAKc

To order a copy of The Squeeze on DVD, visit:

Fifty Shades of Grey (DVD REVIEW)

Fifty Shades of Grey

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Screen Adaptation of Sadomasochistic Best-Seller Arrives on DVD

Fifty Shades of Grey marked the remarkable writing debut of TV executive-turned-romance novelist Erika Mitchell. Publishing under the pen name E.L. James, the British author has enjoyed unparalleled success, selling over 100 million copies worldwide in just a few years.

Her erotic thriller chronicles the kinky relationship of a college coed and a handsome, young billionaire with a sordid sexual appetite for sadomasochism. Unfortunately, this relatively-tame screen version, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson (Nowhere Boy), teases more than it titillates, as it devotes plenty of time build up prior to petering out in terms of delivery.

At the point of departure, we meet vestal virgin Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) as she’s about to drive from Vancouver to Seattle to the corporate headquarters of Grey Enterprises to interview CEO Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) for her college newspaper. The English major’s only been allotted ten minutes with the busy captain of industry slated to deliver the keynote commencement address at her school’s upcoming graduation.

Upon being introduced, obviously intimidated Ana awkwardly asks “To what do you owe your success” and “Are you gay?” before her subject confesses to being a control freak. Turning the tables, Christian proceeds to pose probing personal questions to the nervous journalist, as a palpable sexual tension between the two starts to simmer just beneath the surface.

He reveals his fondness for a particular fetish, however nothing is consummated for a long stretch. Instead, the first half of the film is devoted to a frustrating Kabuki dance where foreplay invariably leads to coitus interruptus.

In lieu of the whips, chains and other staples of bondage debauchery, we’re treated to cautious exchanges during which a whimpering, wide-eyed Ana repeatedly says how scared she is of Christian while he insists she sign a non-disclosure agreement allowing him to torture her. Yes, they eventually do get around to entering his dungeon but, by then, their bland, anticlimactic sessions prove to be a classic case of too little-too late.

            A monochromatic misfire featuring only one shade: blushing pink.

Fair (1.5 stars)

Rated R for profanity, violence, sexuality and graphic nudity

Running time: 125 minutes

Distributor: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Extras: Tease of Fifty Shades Darker; The World of Fifty Shades of Grey: Christian Grey; The World of Fifty Shades of Grey: Ana; The World of Fifty Shades of Grey: Friends and Family; Behind the Shades; E.L. James & Fifty Shades; Fifty Shades: The Pleasure of Pain; Christian's Apartment: 360° Set Tour; music videos; and Behind the Scenes of "Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)."

To see a trailer for Fifty Shades of Grey, visit:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfZWFDs0LxA

To order a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey on Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack, visit:

Supremacy (DVD REVIEW)

Supremacy

DVD Review by Kam Williams

DVD Recounts Real-Life Ordeal of Black Family Held Hostage by White Supremacists

            Garrett Tully (Joe Anderson) is about to be paroled after spending the last 15 years behind bars. Although he might have paid his debt to society, he has little hope of making a smooth adjustment back to civilian life, given his fervent hope that America is on the brink of a race war.

            You see, Garrett has a lot invested in that belief, being a white supremacist with tattoos of swastikas, a Confederate flag, an Iron Cross and the word “HATE” adorning his face, arms, fingers and chest. This means his prospects of turning a new leaf aren’t very brilliant, especially since Doreen (Dawn Olivieri), the Aryan Brotherhood groupie picking him up from prison, is packing heat just in case they cross paths with a black person on the way home.

And wouldn’t you know it, they’re pulled over by an African-American police officer en route and, before Doreen has a chance to produce her license and registration, Tully calls the cop the “N-word” and blows him away with the gun hidden under the seat. Next, rather than hightailing it to a neo-Nazi sanctuary, the unrepentant race baiters decide to break into a house in a black neighborhood where they proceed to use more racial slurs like “porch monkey” and “niglet” while holding everybody hostage.

Fortunately, the Walker family patriarch (Danny Glover) makes sure cooler heads prevail, until help arrives. Too bad the police negotiator (Derek Luke) turns out to be African-American, too.

Directed by Deon Taylor (Chain Letter), Supremacy is a hostage thriller ostensibly inspired by actual events which transpired in Sonoma County, California on the night of March 29, 1995. At 11:30 that evening, Sheriff’s Deputy Frank Trejo was assassinated by a recently-paroled member of the Aryan Brotherhood and his gun moll, just before they forced their way into a nearby house and held the owners captive.

The resolution of this Hollywood version of the standoff relies on an empathetic Mr. Walker’s rising to the occasion. His philosophizing (“Prison does something to a man.”) miraculously manages to induce a couple of the most menacing and despicable screen characters in recent memory to have an 11^th hour conversion.

A pretty preposterous turn of events, but who am I to argue with a tale supposedly based on a true story?

Fair (1.5 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 111 minutes

Distributor: Well Go Entertainment

DVD Extras: Behind-the-Scenes featurette; and the theatrical trailer.

To see a trailer for Supremacy, visit:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5pENEbZZI

To order Supremacy on DVD, visit:

The Squeeze (FILM REVIEW)

The Squeeze

Film Review by Kam Williams

Gambler and Golfer Conspire to Fleece a Sucker in Cat-and-Mouse Caper

            Augie Baccas (Jeremy Sumpter) is a God-fearing golfing sensation who credits his phenomenal success on the links to a combination of hard work, talent and a belief in the Almighty. And the promising prodigy is on the verge of leaving his dysfunctional home for the greener pastures of the PGA Tour so that he’ll no longer be mistreated by his abusive stepfather (Elliott Grey) anymore.

But then he’s approached by an unsavory character who rolls into town in a classic convertible with an attractive blonde (Katherine LaNasa) riding shotgun. Reeves “Riverboat” Boatwright (Christopher McDonald) is a brash gambler sporting a thick Southern drawl and enough cash to seduce the youngster into making a deal with the devil

The plan is to sucker a mark unaware of the kid’s prowess into betting a million dollars against him in a two-man match. Augie’s take will be 10% provided he wins. In Las Vegas, they find what they think is a patsy in Jimmy Diamonds (Michael Nouri), a high-roller with his own golf pro (Jason Dohring).

That is the basic setup of The Squeeze, a pat cat-and-mouse caper marking the writing and directorial debut of Terry Jastrow. Unfortunately, this battle-of-wits’ plot proves way too predictable to hold one’s attention very long.

A moralizing, paint-by-numbers parable lifted right out of the Hollywood hack playbook.

Fair (1.5 stars)

Rated PG-13 for sexuality, profanity, drug use and mature themes  

Running time: 95 minutes

Distributor: ARC Entertainment  

To see a trailer for The Squeeze, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91f2vHdkAKc

Fifty Shades of Grey (FILM REVIEW)

Fifty Shades of Grey

Film Review by Kam Williams

Fetish Flick Fails to Match Intensity of Erotic Best-Seller

Fifty Shades of Grey marked the remarkable writing debut of TV executive-turned-romance novelist Erika Mitchell. Publishing under the pen name E.L. James, the British author has enjoyed unparalleled success, selling over 100 million copies worldwide in just a few years.

Her erotic thriller chronicles the kinky relationship of a college coed and a handsome, young billionaire with a sordid sexual appetite for sadomasochism. Unfortunately, this relatively-tame screen version, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson (Nowhere Boy), teases more than it titillates, as it devotes plenty of time build up prior to petering out in terms of delivery.

At the point of departure, we meet vestal virgin Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) as she’s about to drive from Vancouver to Seattle to the corporate headquarters of Grey Enterprises to interview CEO Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) for her college newspaper. The English major’s only been allotted ten minutes with the busy captain of industry slated to deliver the keynote commencement address at her school’s upcoming graduation.

Upon being introduced, obviously intimidated Ana awkwardly asks “To what do you owe your success” and “Are you gay?” before her subject confesses to being a control freak. Turning the tables, Christian proceeds to pose probing personal questions to the nervous journalist, as a palpable sexual tension between the two starts to simmer just beneath the surface.

He reveals his fondness for a particular fetish, however nothing is consummated for a long stretch. Instead, the first half of the film is devoted to a frustrating Kabuki dance where foreplay invariably leads to coitus interruptus.

In lieu of the whips, chains and other staples of bondage debauchery, we’re treated to cautious exchanges during which a whimpering, wide-eyed Ana repeatedly says how scared she is of Christian while he insists she sign a non-disclosure agreement allowing him to torture her. Yes, they eventually do get around to entering his dungeon but, by then, their bland, anticlimactic sessions prove to be a classic case of too little-too late.

            A monochromatic misfire featuring only one shade: blushing pink.

Fair (1.5 stars)

Rated R for profanity, violence, sexuality and graphic nudity

Running time: 125 minutes

Distributor: Universal Pictures

To see a trailer for Fifty Shades of Grey, visit:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfZWFDs0LxA

Supremacy (FILM REVIEW)

Supremacy

Film Review by Kam Williams

White Supremacists Take Black Family Hostage in Harrowing Hostage Thriller

            Garrett Tully (Joe Anderson) is about to be paroled after spending the last 15 years behind bars. Although he might have paid his debt to society, he has little hope of making a smooth adjustment back to civilian life, given his fervent hope that America is on the brink of a race war.

            You see, Garrett has a lot invested in that belief, being a white supremacist with tattoos of swastikas, a Confederate flag, an Iron Cross and the word “HATE” adorning his face, arms, fingers and chest. This means his prospects of turning a new leaf aren’t very brilliant, especially since Doreen (Dawn Olivieri), the Aryan Brotherhood groupie picking him up from prison, is packing heat just in case they cross paths with a black person on the way home.

And wouldn’t you know it, they’re pulled over by an African-American police officer en route and, before Doreen has a chance to produce her license and registration, Tully calls the cop the “N-word” and blows him away with the gun hidden under the seat. Next, rather than hightailing it to a neo-Nazi sanctuary, the unrepentant race baiters decide to break into a house in a black neighborhood where they proceed to use more racial slurs like “porch monkey” and “niglet” while holding everybody hostage.

Fortunately, the Walker family patriarch (Danny Glover) makes sure cooler heads prevail, until help arrives. Too bad the police negotiator (Derek Luke) turns out to be African-American, too.

Directed by Deon Taylor (Chain Letter), Supremacy is a hostage thriller ostensibly inspired by actual events which transpired in Sonoma County, California on the night of March 29, 1995. At 11:30 that evening, Sheriff’s Deputy Frank Trejo was assassinated by a recently-paroled member of the Aryan Brotherhood and his gun moll, just before they forced their way into a nearby house and held the owners captive.

The resolution of this Hollywood version of the standoff relies on an empathetic Mr. Walker’s rising to the occasion. His philosophizing (“Prison does something to a man.”) miraculously manages to induce a couple of the most menacing and despicable screen characters in recent memory to have an 11^th hour conversion.

A pretty preposterous turn of events, but who am I to argue with a tale presumably based on a true story?

Fair (1.5 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 106 minutes

Distributor: Well Go Entertainment

To see a trailer for Supremacy, visit: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5pENEbZZI

Dumb & Dumber To (FILM REVIEW)

Dumb and Dumber To

Film Review by Kam Williams

Carrey and Jeff Daniels Reunite for Another Round of Hijinks as Dimwitted BFFs

            It took the Farrelly Brothers, Peter and Bobby, two decades to bring back co-stars Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels for a follow-up to Dumb and Dumber, their hit comedy that netted nearly a quarter of a billion dollars at the box office in 1994. Far be it from this critic to suggest that the long-anticipated sequel was worth the wait, though I suspect it won’t disappoint fans nostalgic for more of the same from the bottom-feeding franchise.

            Dumb and Dumber To again coalesces around the terminally-inane antics of Lloyd Christmas (Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Daniels), gullible dimwits with a penchant for both playing and being the butt of practical jokes. As the film unfolds, we learn that, for the last 20 years, Lloyd has been committed to Baldy View Mental Hospital, where he’s undergone shock treatments and a partial lobotomy.

Faithful Harry, meanwhile, has been a daily visitor, regularly changing the bag of urine waste attached to his pal’s private parts. Today, however, the wheelchair-bound patient giggles “Gotcha!” to reveal that his protracted stay in the asylum has all been a gag staged purely for his buddy’s benefit. After admiring the elaborate ruse, Harry rips the catheter out of Lloyd’s penis roughly, with the help of a couple of obliging groundskeepers. Ouch!

The reunited roommates immediately make their way home to their apartment where they proceed to pull a mean-spirited prank on their apprehensive, blind next-door neighbor (Brady Bluhm) by feeding Pop Rocks to his pet birds. (Don’t try that at home, kids!)  Harry subsequently exposes the anus of their cat to explain why he refers to it as Butthole, another joke that merely falls flat. Equally unfunny is the introduction of a drug dealer (Bill Murray), whose crystal meth Harry mistakes for candy.

Such lowbrow fare serves as prologue and proves to be par for the course for the peripatetic adventure about to ensue. Yes, the farfetched road trip does revolve around the rudiments of a plot, though that’s ostensibly of less concern to the filmmakers than seizing on the flimsiest of excuses to gross out their audience at every opportunity.

To summarize the story in 25 words or less, Harry has his own medical issue and is in urgent need of a kidney donor. Fortunately, he has a long-lost daughter he’s never met (Rachel Melvin) who just might be a genetic match.

            With that, our brain-damaged protagonists are off on a cross-country trek in search of Penny that provides this kitchen sink shocksploit ample opportunities to slap disgusting displays of depravity and vulgarity onscreen.  

Fair (1 star)

Rated PG-13 for crude humor, profanity, sexuality, partial nudity and drug references

Running time: 109 minutes

Distributor: Universal Pictures

To see a trailer for Dumb and Dumber To, visit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmNddThxi4c

America: Imagine the World without Her (FILM REVIEW)

America: Imagine the World without Her

Film Review by Kam Williams

Revisionist Documentary Speculates about Alternative U.S. Reality

What would the U.S. look like today if the Minutemen had lost the Revolutionary War to England? That query is the launching pad of America: Imagine the World without Her, an unapologetically right-wing documentary written, directed and narrated by Dinesh D’Souza.

D’Souza, a political pundit who immigrated here as a teenager back in the Seventies, proudly wears his patriotism on his sleeve, announcing at the outset, “I love America! I chose this country!” before launching into a full-frontal attack on such controversial left-leaning leaders and public intellectuals as Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Ward Churchill, Noam Chomsky, Michael Moore, Elizabeth Warren, Michael Eric Dyson, Bill Ayers, Howard Zinn, Saul Alinsky and Hillary Clinton.

But he levels his most caustic remarks at Barack Obama whom he indicts as a liar by playing a number of incriminating comments from “If you want to keep your doctor, you can keep your doctor” to “Nobody is listening to your phone calls.”  D’Souza goes on to explain the President’s behavior as merely part of a strategic socialist conspiracy to destroy the capitalist system.

The movie is basically an attempt to prove that the United States is a great nation with no reason to be ashamed of its past, as suggested by its supposed detractors like Reverend Wright who is heard again in his most notorious sound bite, “No! No! No! Not God bless America… God damn America!” D’Souza brushes aside shameful chapters in our history like slavery and the slaughter of the Indians by arguing that there were just as many black slave owners as white ones, and that Native Americans had fought with each other for millennia prior to the arrival of European settlers.   

His goal is to inspire the masses to rise up and save the country before it’s too late. I suspect that the picture will serve as red meat to arch-conservatives already inclined to dismiss Obama and other progressives as communists in liberals’ clothing. Unfortunately, it also won’t do much to encourage civil discourse or to bridge the intractable stalemate between Democratic and Republicans sitting on opposite sides of the aisle.

            Divisive D’Souza: Imagine an America without him!

Fair (1.5 stars)

Rated PG-13 for violent images   

Running time: 104 minutes

Distributor: Lionsgate Films

To see a trailer for America: Imagine the World without Her, visit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7r3Ef7Ssy8