Wonderland (2003)

The story of what became of XXX movie star John Holmes after his onscreen career had ended but his hard drug addiction hadn't.
Portrayed as a sleazy and selfish weasel, Holmes (Val Kilmer) is the quintessential lowlife user of people, befriending others solely because they can give him what he needs, with betrayal just another bump in the road.
The presentation is choppy, employing techniques that aren't always complementary to each other; in trying too hard to be edgy it goes from one stylistic choice to another sometimes with little or no rhyme or reason. It occasionally works but mostly it's disruptive and detrimental to the whole.
It's an okay film in the end, but indulging the many truth games and multiple unreliable narrators shtick wore me out long before the credits rolled.

3 lead pipes in the drug house out of 5

BEFORE I WAKE [2016]

If you're expecting a shit-your-pants fright-fest from Mike Flanagan's Before I Wake then you're in for severe disappointment.  However if it's a tragic supernatural lullaby you're looking for then you've come to the right place.
It's a slow-burning story of a young couple, still grieving over the loss of their son, that adopts a troubled young boy who's dreams and nightmares physically manifest while he sleeps.
It's a pretty ambitious attempt to take the usual "haunted kid" story and twist it around but unfortunately it falls a bit flat.  It's biggest mistake is casting Kate Bosworth in the leading role as she doesn't seem to have the ability to bring anything remotely interesting or anything worth emotionally investing in, while Thomas Jane and Jacob Tremblay give believable organic performances.  There's a few frightening scenes to please fans of Flanagan's previous films but here he focuses tragedy and heart and that's where it nearly succeeds if not for the blundering Bosworth.

3 butterflies out of 5

THE RULES OF ATTRACTION [2002]

Director Roger Avary's theatrical follow-up to Killing Zoe is an adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' unhinged dark satirical novel The Rules Of Attraction.
It's the surreal story of three attractive Camden College students who lead jaded lives filled with sex, drugs and a multitude of selfish deeds.  Easton Ellis excels at creating despicable characters who we can't help but be intrigued by, knowing damn well he makes sure they all get their dues by the end.  Here, Avary does a fantastic job at capturing the non-linear storytelling of the novel, while giving it a gnashing bite all his own, which quite often you wish would be just a bit more subtle than it is.  The film completely lacks any sort of charm or anything even remotely pleasant to make it a comfortable viewing.  Front-to-back, it's pretty disgusting and if you realize that's exactly what it sets out to be and you're down with it, then it's pretty damned entertaining.  Who doesn't want to see Kevin Arnold shoot up heroin or Dawson Leery attack a guy with an electric carver?

3 vaginal infections out of 5

STILL ALICE [2014]

Juliane Moore's performance is at the center in the devastatingly frightening drama Still Alice, co-directed by Richard Glatzer & Wash Westmoreland.
Moore is fantastic as a wife & mother of three who begins developing Alzheimer's disease at an alarmingly young age.  It's absolutely heart-breaking to watch her mind deteriorate as her family struggles to cope with someone who was once so independent.  Thankfully there's nothing about the film that gets too melodramatic or "this is the big Oscar worthy" emotional moment and instead speaks with nothing but subtle, yet powerful, honesty.  I was taken off guard with how well Alec Baldwin & Kristen Stewart held their own against Moore's performance and without them there were several moments that wouldn't have been the same type of chemistry had it been someone else in the role.  As terrifying as it is sad, it delivers the type of story we're all familiar but not quite connected to as we should be.

4 Angels In America out of 5

HOMEFRONT [2013]

Director Gary Fleder's Homefront calls back to the moody action/thrillers of the '80's.
Written by Sylvester Stallone several years ago, it was originally intended as a Rambo. Star Jason Statham is given the chance to channel a softer side as he plays a family man here, while James Franco goes against his usual role as a violent drug lord.
Plotwise the film does absolutely nothing original in its genre and really is only saved by its main cast who all look like they're having a great time.  In the end, I'd call it a great renter for fans of The Stath.

3 explosive lights out of 5

BLACK ROCK [2013]

I like the Duplass Brothers, so I was eager to see them involved in another horror film, Black Rock, with them serving as executive producers and a script written by Mark.  Unfortunately it's directed by and stars his wife Katie Asleton and while she does a serviceable job in her acting role, she doesn't have a whole lot going for her in the director's chair.
The pacing and all the performances are great, however it never really amounts to much in originality or really any point at all.  There's a few tense moments but are somewhat watered down by some questionably dumb tactics made by the characters.  In the end, I found it to be reasonably entertaining but needed much more depth and thought put into it.

2½ secret forts out of 5

Superman Returns (2006)

Kudos to Dir. Bryan Singer for not giving us another unnecessary franchise reboot. Unfortunately, his continuation of the Superman story isn't very good. Brandon Routh is the only one of the principal actors that I felt was well-cast. Kevin Spacey looks the part but he brings nothing unique to the role of Luthor. Kate Bosworth is too young, too empty and just plain shitty.
I liked that it was both respectful and referential to the older films, the comics, and even the Fleischer cartoons, but ultimately the film is much too long and much too boring to recommend.

2 comic covers recreated out of 5