Sorry to Bother You (2018)

A deeply weird film that seems like a shame to spoil in any way. It involves a broke man who becomes a telemarketer and tries to get ahead in the industry. Director Boots Riley has some pitch black sensibilities and this film is dripping in irony. Blending elements of surrealism and science fiction, you might not know where the hell it's going, but you'll certainly know when you get there.

3½ white voices out of 5

NOCTURNAL ANIMALS [2016]

If one had to come with one word to describe Tom Ford's noir-ish psychological thriller Nocturnal Animals it'd be 'devastating'.
It tells a story within a story, firstly being that of a wealthy but disheartened women receives a copy of a novel from her ex-husband, whom she hadn't talked to in nearly 20 years, which he wrote and dedicated to her.  The other half of the film tells the story within the novel, about a husband who is the only surviving member of his family after a violent attack.
With strong performances all around, particularly Michael Shannon & Aaron-Taylor Johnson, stunningly beautiful Herrmann-esque music from Abel Korzeniowski and gorgeous intoxicating photography it's hard not to become entranced with this cold-hearted, cunningly crafted tale of broken souls, revenge and violent desperation.

4 shocking pieces of art out of 5

Blackout (2008)

Tell me if you've heard this one: 'people trapped in an elevator; one is a danger to the rest. Thrills ensue.' Since this very basic and derivative plot is uninspired and holds little surprise, other elements such as tension and drama must be strong. For the most part, this is the case for Rigoberto Castañeda's Blackout. The characters (Aiden Gillen, Amber Tamblyn, Armie Hammer) aren't very fleshed out and we hardly care for them by the end, but during the ordeal they are captivating. The story succeeds in giving each a satisfying, time-sensitive objective, but it's unfortunate it couldn't also set up any kind of intriguing background for the three. 

2 salty humps out of 5

MIRROR MIRROR [2012]

Director Tarsem Singh delivers yet another visually stunning feast for the eyes with his strange adaptation of the Snow White story, Mirror Mirror.
Here we have Snow enlisting the aid of seven tiny rebels to fight against the power-hungry queen and a savage beast that dwells deep within the forest that surrounds the poverty-stricken kingdom.
Singh is no stranger to astonishingly beautiful set-pieces and intricate costume designs but sadly he never seems to shy away from wafer-thin scripts and laughable melodrama.  Fortunately, as a first for Singh, he's inserted some humor into his storytelling and, although, funny, it almost always feels out of place from the rest of the film.  Nothing seems to comfortably fall into place with each other and ends up making for a very uneven mess.  As imaginative and original as it all is, you can't help but feel that everyone involved were all working on a different film.

2½ stilts out of 5

THE LONE RANGER [2013]

Director Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp of Pirates Of The Caribbean re-team for the first film adaptation of The Lone Ranger in well over 30 years.
Like all Verbinski adventure films, it's overly bloated and a running length that could use a good 20-25 minutes lopped off.   However it's Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp's humorous chemistry and the silly but outrageously fun action sequences that kept my interest till the very end.  I went in expecting a modern day action film in the style of Buster Keaton's The General and that's exactly what I got.  Expectations met and that's just fine with me.

3 uber-scary bunnies out of 5