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B
|
Mortal Kombat
(2021)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
An entertaining picture once it gets past mountains of exposition, delivering heavy fighting between strange combatants, and bodies are appropriately destroyed in a myriad of ways.
Posted Apr 22, 2021
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B-
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Stowaway
(2021)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
The film trades unsettling tension for formulaic suspense, suddenly turning the effort into nearly every astronaut crisis movie that's come before it.
Posted Apr 22, 2021
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B
|
The Mitchells vs. the Machines
(2021)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Rianda and Rowe show difficulty sustaining such storytelling velocity, getting lost in the manic energy of the effort, but there are moments of cartoon clarity that keep the movie together.
Posted Apr 21, 2021
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D+
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Here Are the Young Men
(2021)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Macken is working uphill with this material, struggling to make sense of motivations and subplots, and his taste in casting leaves much to be desired.
Posted Apr 21, 2021
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B
|
Murder Bury Win
(2020)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Highly amusing at times, offering committed performances and periodic darkness to keep the whole endeavor enjoyable.
Posted Apr 21, 2021
|
|
A-
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Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
(2021)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Carries tremendous power as an emotional reminder of such a triumphant run, also working beautifully as a reunion with old faces and as an introduction to key behind-the-scenes figures helping to bring inclusion to the masses.
Posted Apr 21, 2021
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A-
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Together Together
(2021)
|
Brian Orndorf
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Beckwith creates an intimate but approachable odyssey of connection during a special experience, working with a terrific cast to bring it to life.
Posted Apr 21, 2021
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|
D
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Wildcat
(2021)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
It's a supremely dull offering, but for those electing to watch the film, keep in mind the final cut isn't anything like the movie the studio trying to promote.
Posted Apr 21, 2021
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|
C
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Boys from County Hell
(2020)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
The trip to a payoff is unexpectedly slow, and Baugh struggles with tonality.
Posted Apr 21, 2021
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|
B-
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The Devil's Daughter
(1991)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Urgency is lacking here, but the film is not without genre charms, delivering creepy interactions and kooky sequences with periodic flourish.
Posted Mar 07, 2018
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|
B
|
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
(2013)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Brevity is a friend to McKay, but as experimentations go, reworking known elements to manufacture a new perspective on all the monkey business, and the "Super-Sized R-Rated Version" remains a mirthful and mischievous vision.
Posted Feb 28, 2014
|
|
A
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Zero Dark Thirty
(2012)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
It's first-rate work from Bigelow and Boal, who treat the tale with conviction and knowledge, yet never lose sight of its inherent alarm, packaging a combustible narrative into one of the best pictures of 2012.
Posted Jan 03, 2013
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|
A
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Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
(1992)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Promoted as a prequel to Twin Peaks, but it was actually Excalibur pushed through the heart of a phenomenon, leaving the faithful to grieve, while newcomers were left baffled, or in my case, ravenous for more.
Posted Aug 27, 2012
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B-
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Honeymoon in Vegas
(1992)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
With his wild, thinning hair and general look of disease, Cage's interpretation of Jack's desperation is a total hoot, bravely unglamorous and consistently agitated.
Posted Aug 27, 2012
|
|
D-
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Pet Sematary Two
(1992)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Pet Sematary II looks like a feature that quickly slipped out of Lambert's control, and she decided to drive the production into the ground out of spite.
Posted Aug 27, 2012
|
|
D+
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Cosmopolis
(2012)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Cronenberg seems like he has something specific, possibly devilishly satiric in mind, but his screen instincts are numb, constructing a feature that lurches from scene to scene.
Posted Aug 23, 2012
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|
D-
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The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag
(1992)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
A terrible picture, absent rhythm and purpose, straining hard to remain charismatic and mysterious while it engages in pure nonsense, crudely arranged by Moyle in a career-killing feature.
Posted Aug 20, 2012
|
|
D
|
Christopher Columbus: The Discovery
(1992)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
The drama never catches fire, cycling through the same beats of uncertainty and blame to a point of screen stasis. The opening driving montage of Manos: The Hands of Fate has more of a filmmaking zip.
Posted Aug 20, 2012
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|
C+
|
Rapid Fire
(1992)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
It's not a great picture by any means, yet there are highlights in Rapid Fire worth savoring, most centered on Lee's martial art choreography.
Posted Aug 20, 2012
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|
D
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Stay Tuned
(1992)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Simply crashes upon takeoff, going nowhere in a hurry, sniffing around for pop culture overkill and domestic depression insight it never makes a genuine play to explore.
Posted Aug 16, 2012
|
|
B-
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Single White Female
(1992)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Turns out both of these women are mentally damaged, adding a nice little purple-nurple to the script, giving the actresses something with a little more bite to play with.
Posted Aug 16, 2012
|
|
C-
|
Raising Cain
(1992)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
In a world where Redacted exists, Raising Cain isn't De Palma's least effective picture, but it's damn near close, purposely unreasonable and shockingly leaden all the way.
Posted Aug 06, 2012
|
|
A
|
Unforgiven
(1992)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
It's a somber feature, but one of extraordinary character development, bundled into a compelling story of men facing their sins in a most brutal, pitiless manner.
Posted Aug 06, 2012
|
|
B-
|
Bebe's Kids
(1992)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Rough around the edges and careless with plot, but Bebe's Kids maintains personality throughout, doing justice to the memory of Harris and his most unusual stand-up creation.
Posted Jul 30, 2012
|
|
C
|
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
(1992)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Buffy isn't funny or scary, it's just mediocre, slowly losing interest in itself as Kuzui runs out of imagination.
Posted Jul 30, 2012
|
|
C+
|
Death Becomes Her
(1992)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Highly amusing, but there's nothing to the feature beyond cheap thrills and a few laughs.
Posted Jul 30, 2012
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|
C-
|
Mom and Dad Save the World
(1992)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Director Greg Beeman fashions a toothless feature, though one with an undeniable pace and, well, Kathy Ireland in tiny outfits.
Posted Jul 26, 2012
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|
C
|
Mo' Money
(1992)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
It's a shame. A low down dirty shame. Or maybe I'm thinking of another Wayans family member.
Posted Jul 26, 2012
|
|
A-
|
The Queen of Versailles
(2012)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
It makes sense to find the director unwilling to walk away from such as a fascinating couple, resulting in a superb documentary and a powerful statement on the ugliness and delusion of greed.
Posted Jul 19, 2012
|
|
B+
|
Trishna
(2011)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Trishna rewards with its observational qualities, while promoting Pinto as an actress worth paying attention to.
Posted Jul 19, 2012
|
|
B+
|
360
(2011)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Meirelles keeps the film humming along, braiding these strangers into a single display of yearning, albeit a craving that takes the occasional unsavory turn.
Posted Jul 19, 2012
|
|
B
|
Juan of the Dead
(2011)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
A little too slight to fill out a feature-length run time, yet it's spunky enough to entertain and occasionally horrify, though it's not always the zombies that induce the most revulsion.
Posted Jul 19, 2012
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|
B-
|
Extraterrestrial
(2011)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Never quite the feature most will expect it to be, Extraterrestrial is a charming submission of low-fi scripting, using a colossal development in universal happenings to reinforce the quirks and hazards of love.
Posted Jul 19, 2012
|
|
D+
|
30 Beats
(2012)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Unfortunately, the filmmaker mistakes inertia for sensuality, keeping the material in a frustrating state of paralysis.
Posted Jul 19, 2012
|
|
C-
|
Honey, I Blew Up the Kid
(1992)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Boots away a warm familial dynamic to chase tedious villain shenanigans, forgetting what made the first picture so successful.
Posted Jul 16, 2012
|
|
C
|
A Stranger Among Us
(1992)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Stuck with a permanently detached lead actress who juggles snappy cop jargon and sex appeal with all the concentration of pothead.
Posted Jul 16, 2012
|
|
C-
|
Why Stop Now?
(2012)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Isn't very funny or poignant, drifting somewhere in between while the actors make the best out of a lackluster storytelling situation.
Posted Jul 13, 2012
|
|
B
|
Beasts of the Southern Wild
(2012)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
To appreciate Beasts one must relax their expectations, allowing the feature's sputtery sense of momentum to generate a feeling of detachment and parental love.
Posted Jul 13, 2012
|
|
C+
|
Ice Age: Continental Drift
(2012)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Feels like more of a pause than a true sequel, leaving hope that the producers will be able to steer the franchise back to more fertile creative ground before extinction finally arrives.
Posted Jul 13, 2012
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|
C-
|
The Magic of Belle Isle
(2012)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Sometimes it's difficult to remember that Reiner once directed This is Spinal Tap.
Posted Jul 12, 2012
|
|
C-
|
Cool World
(1992)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Cool World isn't difficult to watch (there's too much insanity floating around to be bored), it's just impossible to digest, absent any grounded activities that could elevate the viewing experience past weirdo cartoon diarrhea.
Posted Jul 09, 2012
|
|
C-
|
Universal Soldier
(1992)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
There's a decent bit of escapism in here somewhere, but Emmerich doesn't possess the finesse to make the material rampage as it should.
Posted Jul 09, 2012
|
|
B-
|
The Pact
(2012)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
A satisfying ghost story without leaning too hard into trends. It's not a deliciously overwhelming feature, but The Pact has modest vision worth a look.
Posted Jul 06, 2012
|
|
D
|
Savages
(2012)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Coarse and half-asleep, Savages is a waste of Stone's time and energy, falling back on tired habits of provocation best left buried with his 1994 sensorial blast, Natural Born Killers.
Posted Jul 05, 2012
|
|
C-
|
To Rome With Love
(2012)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
That's the miracle of this filmmaker. Woody Allen will make the occasional stinker, but he's always a year away from his next masterpiece.
Posted Jul 05, 2012
|
|
A
|
Born on the Fourth of July
(1989)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
An exceptional feature on every level of execution, also displaying a rare sensitivity to Stone that he would spend the rest of his career trying to bury in violence and experimentation.
Posted Jul 04, 2012
|
|
B
|
Boomerang
(1992)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
The cop-out conclusion doesn't dilute the playfulness the Hudlins are always interested in providing. I only wish they had the opportunity to work with Murphy again.
Posted Jul 03, 2012
|
|
A
|
A League of Their Own
(1992)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Marshall's finest hour as a filmmaker, capturing audience-pleasing moments with assurance, while also paying careful attention to the vulnerabilities of the characters.
Posted Jul 03, 2012
|
|
C+
|
The Amazing Spider-Man
(2012)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
Much of The Amazing Spider-Man has been seen before, in a better film with a more delirious director, making this unofficial remake puzzling.
Posted Jul 03, 2012
|
|
B
|
Katy Perry: Part of Me
(2012)
|
Brian Orndorf
|
A flashy, enlightening time capsule of Perry's career. It's no concert film, but more of a backstage laminate, permitting fans access to the singer and her turbulent year of mega-stardom.
Posted Jul 03, 2012
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