Bree’s Slumber Party
Porn metatheater reaches new levels of absurdity as director David Lord’s efforts to shoot a stereotypical slumber party showcasing the considerable natural talents of Bree Olsen are continually frustrated; hilarity ensues. And while insider jokes permeate the witty screenplay, the movie is for the most part accessible for everyone. David’s first mistake is attempting to [...]
Prom Night
An attractive cast of young performers lead by Brittany Snow (Hairspray) is the main selling point for Prom Night, a remake of the 1980 Canadian slasher film starring Jamie Lee Curtis. Snow makes for a capable lead as the sole survivor of her family’s massacre at the hands of an obsessed teacher (Jonathan Schaech), who [...]
What Happens in Vegas
What Happens in Vegas is a comedy waiting to happen. It takes an old premise (drunk strangers regretting their decision to get married in Las Vegas) and adds in a dilemma (a $3 million slot machine win) that could’ve been easily resolved. But then again, there would’ve been no movie if the unhappily wedded couple [...]
Vantage Point
Vantage Point, which aspires to be a cunningly twisted thriller, comes equipped with plenty of hurtling action, handheld camerawork, what-was-that? editing, and a plot that has multiple, contradictory agendas writhing like a nest of snakes. It’s all set a-boil within a few blocks of a town square in Spain where a U.S. President is targeted [...]
Stop-Loss
Kimberly Peirce’s long-hatching follow-up to Boys Don’t Cry is another issue-driven look at its era: Stop-Loss hinges on U.S. military policy allowing Iraq War soldiers to be returned to combat even after their official hitches are up. In this case, a band of brothers return to home turf in Brazos, Texas, only to discover that [...]
Shutter
Based on a 2004 Thai horror flick, this surprisingly effective Hollywood remake is actually set in Tokyo. That’s where newlywed hubby Joshua Jackson has taken bride Rachael Taylor (Transformers) for an ill-advised honeymoon. They hit a woman standing in the middle of a spooky road, after which all sorts of ghosts seem to emerge from [...]
