4/16/2007

The Confessor (2004)


The Confessor (2004) -* * *

Directed By: Lewin Webb

Starring: Christian Slater, Molly Parker and Stephen Rea










The Confessor AKA "The Good Shepherd" is a well-acted drama.

Father Daniel Clemens (Slater) has uncovered a murder mystery involving other priests and corruption in his church. Can he uncover the truth?



Christian Slater puts in a good performance as usual. Parker also holds her own. The mystery is a little uneven and the ending is weak, but overall the movie is worth seeing. It goes in too many directions. The director made another movie called Gone Dark (2003) which is a hidden gem.

The Confessor is decent little mystery if you don't take it too seriously.







Comeuppance Review by: Ty

The Covenant: Brotherhood Of Evil (2005)


The Covenant: Brotherhood Of Evil (2005) -* *

AKA: Canes

Directed By: Michael Bafaro

Starring: Edward Furlong and Michael Madsen






The Covenant: Brotherhood Of Evil has basically the same title as the "gay" The Covenant (2006), but it's different.

David Goodman (Furlong) is a young businessman on the rise. He's blinded by a random criminal and he wants revenge. He then meets Guillermo List (Madsen) who gives him an evil cane (yes, a walking cane...) to exact his vengeance. But it gets out of hand and now the powers of evil are after him!




As you can tell, the plot to this cinematic sludge is silly. If you want a good laugh, watch this. Furlong is miscast and he looks awful. He's packed on some weight and the suits he wears in the film are so tight on him, they're bursting at the seams. Madsen is okay, but once again he's there for a paycheck. He does have obviously fake facial hair. It looks glued on.




Overall, "The Covenant: Brotherhood Of Evil" is a very ridiculous film that's worth watching for the unintentional laughs.


Comeuppance Review by:Ty

4/11/2007

Aurora Borealis (2005)


Aurora Borealis (2005) -* * *

Directed By: James Burke

Starring: Joshua Jackson, Juliette Lewis, and Donald Sutherland












Aurora Borealis is a well-written film, but slightly cliched.

Duncan (Jackson) is always getting in trouble and is always unemployed. His new job is to take care of his grandfather, Ronald (Sutherland) who has Parkinson's. While he's helping him, Ronald's caretaker Kate (Lewis) meets him. They fall in love and she wants to leave to go to San Diego. But Duncan doesn't want to leave his family.




The main draw of the movie is the excellent acting by all. Lewis and Jackson have some great chemistry. You feel for him and his situation. Sutherland is also good as the grandfather. The problem with the movie is that the director wants to tie up ALL the loose ends. Every scene that didn't have a payoff, it does in the end, if that makes sense. Because of that, it feels cliched.



But overall, Aurora Borealis is worth watching for the acting.



Comeuppance Review by: Ty

4/09/2007

Lil' Pimp (2005)


Lil' Pimp (2005)- * *1\2

Directed By: Mark Brooks and Peter Gilstrap

Starring: Bernie Mac, Jennifer Tilly, David Spade, Danny Bonaduce, Rudy Ray Moore and William Shatner









Lil' Pimp was fairly funny.

 It's about a little white kid who decides to live with the ho's and pimps. He wants to become a pimp after seeing their lifestyle.


There's also the sub-plot of corrupt mayor Tony Gold (Voiced by William Shatner) who wants to control the prostitution racket. There are some laughs here. Most of them come from Gold's idiot police henchmen. Some jokes do fall flat. The character of Weathers (Voiced by Ludacris) is little grating. Jennifer Tilly doesn't do anything to advance the plot as Lil' Pimp's teacher. Besides that, everything else is decent. It's worth a look.




Comeuppance Review by: Ty

4/04/2007

Unspeakable (2002)


Unspeakable (2002) -* * 

Directed By: Thomas J. Wright

Starring: Dennis Hopper, Dina Meyer, Lance Henriksen, and Jeff Fahey










Unspeakable is a laughable but entertaining horror\thriller.

Jesse Mowatt (Pavan Grover) is a serial killer who is sent to the toughest prison in New Mexico. The Warden (Hopper) is one mean guy who spouts lines like "I am God!". The only person who could save him (I don't know why someone would do that but okay...) is Diana Purlow (Meyer) a scientist who has a device that can look into people's minds. Does she find the truth?



This movie is hilarious. Dennis Hopper goes so over the top you can't believe it. He also has a couple more "great" lines like ("I want to kill you a hundred times over!" and "I will barbeque your soul!") He really wants to do a lot of stuff. But, then again, he is the evil warden. Meyer goes through the motions. Grover, who also wrote this mess, is very self-absorbed in the role. Fahey and Lance both make cameo appearances and they put in their usual good work. The ending is completely ridiculous. It involves ghosts, Fahey's character and abortion.

Overall, if you want to laugh, watch Unspeakable.





Comeuppance Review by: Ty

Rampage: The Hillside Strangler Murders (2006)


Rampage: The Hillside Strangler Murders (2006) -* *

Directed By: Chris Fisher

Starring: Clifton Collins Jr. and Brittany Daniel









Rampage: The Hillside Strangler Murders could've been so much better.

Dr. Samantha Stone (Daniel) gets a case that involves accused murderer Kennenth Bianchi (Collins Jr.) She gets into his head, and eventually he does the same to her.


The main problem with the film is that there too many camera and sound tricks. It's very distracting and headache-inducing. The camera goes around in circles every two seconds.



What's good about this film is the performances. Clifton Collins Jr. is great as Kenneth. If you watch his other performances in 187 (1997) or Mindhunters (2004), you can see the immense talent he has. Brittany Daniel does a decent job. Yes, she takes off her clothes, but she has acting ability. In the end: This movie is a misfire, but thankfully it does boast two good main performances, without that, it would have been a disaster.

Comeuppance Review by: Ty 

4/01/2007

88 Minutes (2005)


88 Minutes (2005) -* *1\2 

Directed By: Jon Avnet

Starring: Al Pacino, Amy Brenneman, Neal McDonough, Alicia Witt, Leelee Sobieski, Deborah Kara Unger, and William Forsythe











88 Minutes is a minor disappointment.

Jack Gramm (Pacino) is a professor who gets a death threat from a mysterious killer say he will die in 88 minutes. Can Jack stop time and his death from happening?

The movie has been languishing on a shelf somewhere for years only to reemerge on DVD in Brazil, almost with good reason. Pacino is good as always, but seems uninterested most of the time. He has one good scene when he explains about his daughter. It's the only well-acted scene.


All the other actors are outmatched by him. Brenneman does a decent job and Forsythe is wasted as usual. Alica Witt comes off the worst with some weak line readings and expressions. The plot seems like a fast-paced thrill ride but it's anything but. It picks up towards the end but most of the suspense seems forced and squeezed out.

Overall, it's for Pacino fans only.




Comeuppance Review by: Ty