Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare
Cinematic Sommelier
6.8
This movie is the discomfort of hearing the word “moist” put to film. It also happens to be very moist in the third act. A literal butt head. The strangest finishing move in a fight I’ve seen in a long time. Prepare to be both amused and bemused by this cult classic that could almost serve as a “Purge” prequel. Bet Bill’s ready to go back to Baywatch after this weird weekend.
6.1
Uh… I’m still not sure what it is I just watched.
There was a werewolf, an angry for no reason sheriff deputy, and a senile sheriff. Past that, I couldn’t really tell you. I laughed at the pure absurdity a couple times, but left completely confused. Very well could be that I missed some deeper meaning here. If you are aware of this hidden pearl of knowledge, feel free to enlighten me.
7.9
… and you thought you hated Jai Courtney before. Sheesh, this guy can’t catch a break on exclusively playing unlikeable characters.
Liam Neeson does Liam Neeson things. This time, his girlfriend is taken, blowing up his plans for a normal life. Kate Walsh does a fantastic job as Liam’s accomplice, as does Jeffrey Donovan as his enabler at the Bureau. Strap in, and watch everything go boom in this edge of your seat thriller. Then, get ready to go “awe…” right before the credits roll. It’s a wild ride.
8.1
Right up there with “The Intern” for me in Robert De Niro’s repertoire. A heartfelt, laugh out loud film with a fantastic cast. Everyone fits their role perfectly, and really pulls at the heart strings at just the right times in between laughs. I wasn’t expecting as much emotional depth as I got from this hour and a half. The subtle love story, the unique play on family dynamics, this film really hit them all.
One hidden blessing of this unprecedented time is finding these usually buried films playing front and center on the big screen. The audience in the theater covered ages 8-80, and we all came out smiling under our masks.
6.8
Tempted to recommend this so someone else might be able to explain this one to me. A mix between “The Hangover” and “Fantasy Island.” I was completely confused and uncomfortable for the first two thirds of the runtime. Unfortunately, once things start to come together, it only gets worse. You kind of wish they wouldn’t have explained things. Overall, a solid thriller with terror mixed in. Definitely not what I would consider a traditional horror film. It’s more just an hour and a half of general discomfort with what you’re watching. Possible neck pain from having your head cocked saying “what the f**k?!?!” most of the runtime. Middle of the road. Two thumbs sideways.
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 