Ed's Review Dot Com

The Lab of Madness, Film Science, Neighborhood Watch,

Macon Blair, Devin Ratray, Amy Hargreaves, Kevin Kolack, Eve Plumb, David W. Thompson, Brent Werzner, Stacy Rock, Sidné Anderson

Dwight (Macon Blair) is a homeless guy, living in his car down by the ocean. He’s a gentle guy, but just wants to be left alone. But when the cops pull him in to let him know the guy who murdered his parents is being released, he knows it means he’ll be coming after him and for his sister and her family which is all he has left. So he heads to the small town where he was raised to help his sister’s family as he confirms that his worst suspicions are correct. He must use all his wits to try to survive their revenge.

This was a surprising film. I didn’t expect a lot from this film, but I was pleasantly surprised. It escalated very quickly and the excitement built rapidly to a fever pitch. Very cleverly written, and a lot of suspense built up to keep us on the edge of our seats. One lone man against a slew of enemies is not a new topic, but this was done in a rather unique way. The twists were unexpected and it was interesting all the way through. Though no major stars, and a low budget independent film, it’s still very interesting, well crafted, and full of surprises. One thing you may completely miss, there is a familiar face among the Cleland family who is after Dwight. One of the family members is Eve Plumb, better known to many of us as Jan Brady, the middle daughter between Marcia and Cindy.

I actually really enjoyed this story and found it very well done. I would recommend it as a suspenseful thriller film that will keep you biting your fingernails throughout.

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Industrial Entertainment, Nazz Productions, Primary Pictures,

Abigail Breslin, Sean Bean, James Purefoy, Alexa PenaVega, Lew Temple, Jake Busey, J.D. Evermore, Ritchie Montgomery

Hannah Lee Baker (Abigail Breslin) is a smart teenager, but living in the sticks with some rough people. She lives with her sister and her addict uncle and sets off to be a carrier for an awful crime boss Uncle Frank (Sean Bean) who is extremely ruthless and runs the family with a strong hand. Hannah’s outlet is chess, which she plays with passion, but when she falls for Wild Billy (James Purefoy) who is a enemy of Uncle Frank, things get pretty dangerous for Hannah in a hurry.

This was an underwhelming movie. I have no idea what Abigail Breslin is doing in this film. It’s overly violent and vicious for no good reason, filled with highly unlikable people all around, and after about the first 25 minutes I was wishing the Feds would roll in and carry off this entire bunch to put us all out of our misery. I really thought this was a meaningless story, mostly annoying, and just not fun. I never got into the story, as it was so disjointed and all over the place. I just couldn’t care about the characters or the story. I am not sure how the title “Wicked Blood” fits in here, as it sounds like a horror film. Blood may refer to relatives as there were some really wicked uncles and cousins in this sucker. But I would have titled it Effed Up Family to give you more of an association to what it’s about. If you can imagine the Dukes of Hazzard if they all ran meth labs and sold drugs. I just really didn’t like this movie, and I’d say avoid it like the plague!

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Modoc Spring,

Mekhi Phifer, William Sadler, Sterling K. Brown, Derek Roché, James McCaffrey, Rebecca Creskoff, Lizzy DeClement, Bernadette Quigley, Luke Robertson, Marisa Brown

A small town sheriff and his deputies receive a call about the first ever bank robbery in this little town at the same time as a mysterious African-American stranger shows up in town. He has a rather combative attitude and is not helping himself very much with his wise-cracks and claims of racism. But he’s a black stranger in a white town. The suspect has a slew of secrets and is not very worried until his partner who is part of the plan does not show up when he’s supposed to. Things turn very deadly quite quickly and nothing is what it appears to be.

This is one of those hidden gem, indie movies with a really perplexing story. The subject is whether or not the town is racist, and if they treat a black suspect differently than a white one. But like an onion, you peel off layer by layer to find something else underneath. There is so many layers to this story, and it’s beautifully told. Not a mainstream movie by any means, but many reviews give away too many secrets, so I am purposefully keeping this as vague as possible. Essentially there are many tales to tell here, and everyone ends up taking a hard look at themselves. It’s excellent acted by a variety of very good actors who develop the characters very well. I think we have to give a great deal of credit to the screenwriters as well, as it’s a really good little script. Don’t judge the movie by police protocol and there are certain unbelievable elements to the story, and it depends a great deal on coincidence which is pretty far fetched, but there is more than one turn in this movie. I watched it streaming on NetFlix, but you can find this movie many places. It was well worth the time I spend on it. Most streaming movies at NetFlix are either very old classics or not too hot, but this was one that really sparked my interested. I found myself intrigued by the story, and though I didn’t expect a lot going in, I was really touched by the ending of this story. This is one I highly recommend for the classy way this story unfolds. Excellent job, guys.

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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Columbia Pictures, Strike Entertainment,

Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, Abbie Cornish, Jackie Earle Haley, Michael K. Williams, Jennifer Ehle, Jay Baruchel, Aimee Garcia, Miguel Ferrer

Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) is a Detroit cop in 2028 when he is critically injured in an assassination attempt. He has no way to survive, but OmniCorp, a huge corporation that is trying to convince the U.S. that their Robot law enforcement machines are the future. These machines are faster, smarted, are tied to the crime database, and can enforce the law as no human could. But the government of the U.S. to allow them on the street, even though they’ve won over most of the rest of the world. They see an opportunity to use a human mind and a robot body to meld the robot law enforcement robot with a human mind. But when they get too greedy, and when Alex finds some dirty officials high up in the program, they decide to terminate the project and are all set to turn off Robocop. With some help from his creator, he tries to save himself once again.

This is a remake of the `1987 film with Paul Verhoeven. When a remake is done, nearly 25 years after the original, there’s always a call for a comparison. I’m going to give that to you in just a moment. But first, let me talk to those who have never seen the original. This is a very exciting action movie with great CGI effects, fast paced, lots of battle scenes, and very intriguing to watch. It’s an excellent action film, and you’re probably best off watching this one.

Now, for the comparison. The original film had a really great impact on people because the techniques of the time were not as sophisticated as they are today. The battle between RoboCop and the ED-209 is one of the classic battles of all times. The impression this film left on those of us leaves us who are familiar with it with a fond memory. A new film is not going to compare well with that. But actually, if you can get past the fact that it is a new time, and take the new film on it’s own, it will give you a much more pleasant experience. The new film is snazzy with the CGI effects which takes a lot away from the human impact and influence that the original one gives us. I really love the original, and this one doesn’t nearly approach the feelings that the original gave us. But it still is a really good film. The first half, at least, explaining how and why it all happened, and looking closely to the change that it made on Alex and his family is especially interesting. But when the battle starts, it’s a huge CGI fest that is over the top that reminds me more of the Kung Fu films of the 70’s where 15 guys would take on the hero and the hero takes them all out. This is similar. They appear to be so in love the technology, that the story is hard to accept. It’s just blast and shoot and roll, with no real feeling. After while, you don’t really care, and there is no amazing battle between Alex and ED-209 like there was in the first one. If I was to take my personal choice of the two, I would prefer the first by a little, although I am really glad I watched the remake. I still have a yearning to go back and see the 1987 one again though and see if it was a good as I remember.

For those who remember the original, the line “I wouldn’t buy that for a dollar” was a pretty cheap tribute to the original, although I must admit that it made me laugh just the same. But I need to know what the heck Samuel L Jackson was doing? That made me think of The Hunger Games every time he popped up on screen.

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Les Productions du Trésor, Worldview Entertainment, Caneo Films,

Clive Owen, Billy Crudup, Marion Cotillard, Mila Kunis, Zoe Saldana, Matthias Schoenaerts, James Caan

In 1974 Chris (Clive Owen) has just been released from prison and standing outside the gate waiting for him is his brother Frank (Billy Crudup). Chris has a long history of getting into trouble, and Frank on the other hand is a cop, on his way to making a name for himself in the force. Their Dad Leon (James Caan) seems to like Chris better, despite his history of getting into trouble. These are not young kids. Chris is 50 years old and still looking for trouble. But when it comes down to it, will blood be thicker than water, as Frank has to decide whether despite his promise to show Chris no favors, will he turn him in or protect him in this crime drama.

This movie is really the story of the Prodigal Son from the Bible. Frank’s issues with being the good son and not being appreciated for it, and the Dad’s doting over his troubled son makes Frank feel neglected. He cares for his brother, but he has a strong desire to do the right thing. This is a little known movie. I hadn’t hear of it until it came out on DVD this week, but I was pleased with it. Truthfully, these crime dramas, cop stories about a family being torn apart by problems doesn’t usually appeal to me. There have been so many stories like this, but I found this one to be refreshing. It’s a somewhat new slant on the subject, and the family dynamic is much more important in this story than the rest of the facts. There are some really good stars in this one, and it is interesting to see the effects of crime, especially organized crime, and the effects on 1970’s Brooklyn. This is a story of the streets, and it’s gritty and dirty as it should be. But there’s a look at this family and how choices of on person or another can have a major impact on the whole family. I thought that was a pretty decent crime story, and I can recommend it, mildly, for those who like these kinds of stories. It wasn’t a fantastic film, or a must see, by any means, but it’s decently done, well acted, and fresh enough to enjoy.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog