Shameless Self Expression

No-nonsense Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) gathers up a ragtag selection of incarcerated individuals with super-powers who are sent on a dangerous mission fronted by Col. Rick Flagg (Joel Kinnaman). Storming a South American island, the majority of them are swiftly and violently wiped out by the enemy. Thankfully, Waller also selected another time at the same time, including the grumpy Bloodsport (Idris Elba) and an idiotic mutant shark named King Shark (voiced by Sly Stallone). After rescuing the surviving Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and Flagg from the ill-fated first team, our second team of ragtag ex-cons set out to complete the mission: Destroy all evidence of Project Starfish, a mysterious project that is apparently a danger to U.S. national security. Part of the plan is to find the project’s creator ‘The Thinker’ (Peter Capaldi) and force him to get them to the lab where the project (which is really a captured alien) is housed. John Cena plays metallic helmet-wearing Peacemaker, fr...

“The House That Bled to Death”: A family moves into a house where a murder was once committed. After a while, sinister shit starts happening like the cat meeting an untimely end and a literally bloody children’s birthday party. In “The Silent Scream” , recent parolee Brian Cox apparently made friends with a prison counsellor and former WWII concentration camp survivor played by Peter Cushing. He goes to visit the man at his pet shop, and is shown something very special in the back…an array of wild animals kept in cages without bars. Instead, electric charges averts any thought of escape. But hey nevermind that, Cox just wants to have a crack at opening Cushing’s safe. It doesn’t go very well for him. “The Two Faces of Evil” has husband and wife Gary Raymond and Anna Calder-Marshall picking up a creepy hitch-hiker in the rain, only for the latter to go berserk and cause the car to crash. Upon waking, Raymond is injured and the hitch-hiker dead. Or perhaps not. “The Mark of Satan” see...

The story of glitzy TV evangelist couple Jim (Andrew Garfield) and Tammy Faye Bakker (Jessica Chastain) who rode on a lucrative high with their TV ministry before Jim’s scandals with rape lawsuits and fraud saw their empire come crashing down, as well as their marriage. Meanwhile, Tammy’s progressive streak also seemed to rankle the more conservative religious types like Jerry Falwell (Vincent D’Onofrio).   Fairly persuasive, if slightly narrow-focussed 2021 biopic from director Michael Showalter ( “The Big Sick” ) and screenwriter Abe Sylvia (who wrote and directed a few episodes of “Nurse Jackie” ). Based on a 2000 documentary by the same name, it offers a terrific showcase for an Oscar-winning Jessica Chastain as Tammy Faye Bakker. She doesn’t look naturally like Tammy Faye, but the excellent makeup job helps seal the deal, and Chastain does the rest with a terrific acting job. She leans in just far enough into a squeaky vocal impersonation without it being a hollow act. H...

Young Swedish orphan Bosse (played by Brit actor Nicholas Pickard) is taken away from his miserable Aunt and Uncle and transported to the land of Faraway. There he learns that he’s actually the son of Faraway’s noble king (the dull but presumably affordable Timothy Bottoms), and that he’s really a prince named Mio. The main plot has Mio and his reliable child companion Jum-Jum (Christian Bale) on a quest that eventually leads them to battle the evil, child-hating knight Kato (Christopher Lee). Susannah York briefly turns up as a seamstress in Faraway called The Weaver Woman.   Largely forgotten 1987 fantasy adventure for children desperately wants to be another “NeverEnding Story” with a little “Lord of the Rings” thrown in for good measure. A Swedish-Norwegian-Russian co-production with an international cast, it’s an extremely expensive disappointment. Based on a children’s book by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren (of Pippi Longstocking fame), it suffers from abysmally lethar...

A Jewish police detective named Mo Brummel (George Segal) tries to apprehend a frustrated actor/theatre manager turned serial killer with a penchant for disguises and accents (Rod Steiger). The latter calls the former after every murder for a little chat and an odd relationship of sorts is formed. Meanwhile, Mo romances pretty Kate (Lee Remick), and deals with an angry boss (played TV veteran David Doyle) and nagging mother (Eileen Heckart).   Offbeat, highly underrated 1968 film from director Jack Smight ( “Harper” , “Midway” ) featuring one of the best-ever performances by Rod Steiger. Scripted by John Gay ( “Run Silent, Run Deep” , “Separate Tables” ) from a William Goldman ( “All the President’s Men” , “The Princess Bride” , “Misery” ) novel, it’s a strangely effective mix of macabre black comedy and genuinely interesting crime-thriller. Steiger is clearly having a ball playing the mixed-up killer who adopts various disguises, accents, and demeanours throughout. As funny as...

Andre Morell plays a respected professor who arrives in a small town on the request of former med school pupil Brook Williams. It seems an unusual plague is bumping off the locals thanks to a voodoo-practising local squire (John Carson) who is creating a zombie horde for self-serving, sinister means. Diane Clare plays Morell’s bubble-headed daughter who accompanies him on the journey.   Sometimes enjoyable 1966 Hammer zombie movie from director John Gilling (Hammer’s “The Mummy” , “The Reptile” , and “The Gorgon” ) is frankly a bit overrated. For me, I’m not much into voodoo films and it takes far too long to get its motor going, with more reliance on talk than I felt helpful. Once it finally does get cooking there are a few standout elements, but it was a bit too late for me by then. Some of the imagery is interesting and fun, the first appearance of a zombie is quite startling. The make-up is pretty good, actually and we even get a decapitation, which is quite bold for 1966. ...

Four gunmen, headed by ice-cold Brit Mr. Blue (Robert Shaw) hijack the title NYC subway train, asking for a million dollars within an hour- or one passenger will die per minute. Mr. Blue is aided by disgruntled former conductor Mr. Green (Martin Balsam), volatile, ex-communicated mafia guy Mr. Gray (Hector Elizondo), and the rather quiet Mr. Brown (Earl Hindman, later of “Home Improvement” semi-fame). The deadly serious Mr. Blue is matched against transit cop Garber (Walter Matthau), who listens to Mr. Blue’s demands, tries to keep things calm whilst the authorities and the city Mayor (Lee Wallace) scramble. Meanwhile, he also spends time speculating with his cop buddy Jerry Stiller as to how the hell these loons are planning on getting away with this crazy scheme. Tony Roberts turns up as Warren LaSalle the Deputy Mayor, whilst Doris Roberts (pre- “Raymond” ) is the Mayor’s wife, who suggests the Mayor will have 18 sure votes if he pays the ransom (there are 18 passengers).   ...

Milo Gibson plays an ex-Navy SEAL and supposed ‘war junkie’ who hasn’t been home to his family in a long time. Now he’s taking his place in a CIA-funded squad of mercs who do ‘off the books’ jobs, this despite Gibson preferring to be a loner. Of course. Alongside grizzled comrade William Fichtner and cocky new acquaintance Gbenga Akinnagbe they are to track down no-good turncoats Joseph Millson and Elliot Cowan, the former of whose life Gibson once saved. Now former CIA guy Cowan (who has become radicalised and apparently been aiding the Taliban, I might add) and Millson are involved in an arms exchange with some nasty Russians. Sylvia Hoeks plays Gibson’s tough-talking CIA handler.   I guess writer-director Matthew Hope ( “The Veteran” with Toby Kebbell) wanted Milo Gibson – son of Mad Mel – to be the next big thing in action with this 2018 action-thriller. Unfortunately Milo has none of his dad’s charisma, talent, or presence based on his efforts here and Hope brings nothing...