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Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week.
Boys State (Apple TV+)
Synopsis: It's been a great year for documentaries, and a strong summer for Apple TV+. The new streamer has developed some fascinating original series, and has offered some solid original films. That includes the interesting drama "The Banker," the World War II film "Greyhound" and now the documentary "Boys State." This film heads to Texas, looking at the nearly 1,200 high school boys that gather in Austin for a week to simulate the govermental process. For many of us, politics is the last thing we want to do in our leisure time. However, these young men are inspired and impassioned to share their beliefs and become the next generation of leaders. The documentary focuses on a handful of them, each in different political parties established at the event. Interviews provide some insight and help you get to know these young men and their passion. I was taken with the process and the issues, but ultimately heart-broken as so often happens in real life with the result of the election that close the week at Boys State. Still, this is a beautifully told story and one that really pulls you in and tugs at the heart. It also inspired me that there are young people like this passionate about making a change, and simultaneously disheartened that even at that level, politics seems to be about pandering and giving up on personal convictions. Either way, it gives you plenty to think about.
Rating: PG-13 for some strong language, and thematic elements.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.
Synopsis: It's been a great year for documentaries, and a strong summer for Apple TV+. The new streamer has developed some fascinating original series, and has offered some solid original films. That includes the interesting drama "The Banker," the World War II film "Greyhound" and now the documentary "Boys State." This film heads to Texas, looking at the nearly 1,200 high school boys that gather in Austin for a week to simulate the govermental process. For many of us, politics is the last thing we want to do in our leisure time. However, these young men are inspired and impassioned to share their beliefs and become the next generation of leaders. The documentary focuses on a handful of them, each in different political parties established at the event. Interviews provide some insight and help you get to know these young men and their passion. I was taken with the process and the issues, but ultimately heart-broken as so often happens in real life with the result of the election that close the week at Boys State. Still, this is a beautifully told story and one that really pulls you in and tugs at the heart. It also inspired me that there are young people like this passionate about making a change, and simultaneously disheartened that even at that level, politics seems to be about pandering and giving up on personal convictions. Either way, it gives you plenty to think about.
Rating: PG-13 for some strong language, and thematic elements.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.
Choke/Heartbeat (Amazon Prime, VOD)
Starring: Sarah Brine, Scott Butler, Shane Ryan, Nicole D'Angelo, and Chris Spinelli
Synopsis: I'm reviewing these two horror films together because they have the same director (Gregory Hatanaka), largely the same cast and were shot together. They're both 73 minutes and both available on Amazon Prime or VOD. And they're both terrible. I mean truly awful. The acting and production is poor, but worse yet is the story. While "Heartbeat" is some kind of story of revenge and corporate greed, complete with a rip off of "Scream" in the opening sequence, it's arguably the better of the two. "Choke" is weird and sort of like some sick fantasy. It feels like the kind of student film that would be made by the graduating class at Ted Bundy university. I often couldn't believe what I was seeing. Shockingly the films have some decent ratings on IMDB, and I can't imagine why. You're best served letting these ones remain a mystery.
Rating: N/A
Verdict: Zero stars out of four.
Starring: Sarah Brine, Scott Butler, Shane Ryan, Nicole D'Angelo, and Chris Spinelli
Synopsis: I'm reviewing these two horror films together because they have the same director (Gregory Hatanaka), largely the same cast and were shot together. They're both 73 minutes and both available on Amazon Prime or VOD. And they're both terrible. I mean truly awful. The acting and production is poor, but worse yet is the story. While "Heartbeat" is some kind of story of revenge and corporate greed, complete with a rip off of "Scream" in the opening sequence, it's arguably the better of the two. "Choke" is weird and sort of like some sick fantasy. It feels like the kind of student film that would be made by the graduating class at Ted Bundy university. I often couldn't believe what I was seeing. Shockingly the films have some decent ratings on IMDB, and I can't imagine why. You're best served letting these ones remain a mystery.
Rating: N/A
Verdict: Zero stars out of four.
Countdown (HBO Max)
Starring: Elizabeth Lail, Jordan Calloway, Talitha Eliana Bateman, and Peter Facinelli
Synopsis: This horror movie is a demon/monster film. It centers on a group of people who download an app that tells them when they're going to die. It turns out that it's really a demonic curse hunting those whose time is nearing, and a group that don't want to die need to defeat the demon to live. The film is fairly well put together, but doesn't feel like anything special. (Though, compared to "Choke," it's a masterpiece.) I like Lail in the lead role, and Facinelli was solid as the creepy human villain. But this wasn't a great film and wasn't one that is a must see.
Rating: PG-13 for terror, violence, bloody images, suggestive material, language and thematic elements.
Verdict: Ones star out of four.
Starring: Elizabeth Lail, Jordan Calloway, Talitha Eliana Bateman, and Peter Facinelli
Synopsis: This horror movie is a demon/monster film. It centers on a group of people who download an app that tells them when they're going to die. It turns out that it's really a demonic curse hunting those whose time is nearing, and a group that don't want to die need to defeat the demon to live. The film is fairly well put together, but doesn't feel like anything special. (Though, compared to "Choke," it's a masterpiece.) I like Lail in the lead role, and Facinelli was solid as the creepy human villain. But this wasn't a great film and wasn't one that is a must see.
Rating: PG-13 for terror, violence, bloody images, suggestive material, language and thematic elements.
Verdict: Ones star out of four.
Project Power (Netflix)
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Dominique Fishback
Synopsis: This latest Netflix film is another high-profile production. This one is set in New Orleans and follows three people connected to a new street drug, Power, which gives people unpredictable superpowers for five minutes. Robin (Fishback) is a low-level dealer, Frank (Gordon-Levitt) is a detective and Robin's client and Art (Foxx) is a mystery man in town looking for answers and to track down the Power suppliers. It turns out Art has a bigger connection to the making of the drug, which is being distributed in cities like New Orleans as part of market research and product refinement. There are some cool effects here, and all three performers do a nice job. There are some solid action sequences and a little bit of comedy mixed in. The film is solid and entertaining, but not as impressive as some of the more blockbuster type films Netflix has released.
Rating: R for violence, bloody images, drug content and some language.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Dominique Fishback
Synopsis: This latest Netflix film is another high-profile production. This one is set in New Orleans and follows three people connected to a new street drug, Power, which gives people unpredictable superpowers for five minutes. Robin (Fishback) is a low-level dealer, Frank (Gordon-Levitt) is a detective and Robin's client and Art (Foxx) is a mystery man in town looking for answers and to track down the Power suppliers. It turns out Art has a bigger connection to the making of the drug, which is being distributed in cities like New Orleans as part of market research and product refinement. There are some cool effects here, and all three performers do a nice job. There are some solid action sequences and a little bit of comedy mixed in. The film is solid and entertaining, but not as impressive as some of the more blockbuster type films Netflix has released.
Rating: R for violence, bloody images, drug content and some language.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.
We Summon the Darkness (Netflix)
Starring: Alexandra Daddario, Keean Johnson, Maddie Hasson, Amy Forsyth, and Johnny Knoxville
Synopsis: This horror film, now on Netflix, focuses on a trio of girls (Daddario, Hasson and Forsyth) who head to a heavy metal concert and along the way get hit with a milkshake thrown from a van. When they get to the concert, they discover the van is also there and meet up with the three boys in it, making a connection and inviting them back to Daddario's father's house in the country. That's where the tables turn. This is a film about satanic slayings that are really a cover for something else, and a powerful minister (Knoxville) using the crimes to boost his profile and following. It goes in an interesting direction, but isn't overall that great or compelling. It's a pretty typical horror film that comes and goes without leaving much of an impression.
Rating: R for bloody violence, pervasive language, some drug use and sexual references.
Verdict: One star out of four.
Starring: Alexandra Daddario, Keean Johnson, Maddie Hasson, Amy Forsyth, and Johnny Knoxville
Synopsis: This horror film, now on Netflix, focuses on a trio of girls (Daddario, Hasson and Forsyth) who head to a heavy metal concert and along the way get hit with a milkshake thrown from a van. When they get to the concert, they discover the van is also there and meet up with the three boys in it, making a connection and inviting them back to Daddario's father's house in the country. That's where the tables turn. This is a film about satanic slayings that are really a cover for something else, and a powerful minister (Knoxville) using the crimes to boost his profile and following. It goes in an interesting direction, but isn't overall that great or compelling. It's a pretty typical horror film that comes and goes without leaving much of an impression.
Rating: R for bloody violence, pervasive language, some drug use and sexual references.
Verdict: One star out of four.
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