Shameless Self Expression

A drifter named Nada (‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper) finds his way into a shantytown suggested by his co-worker (Keith David) at the construction site. Before long he notices a revolutionary group meeting inside an old church nearby, including their foreman Peter Jason. Before long, the authorities bust into the church, and in escaping, Piper picks up a box of sunglasses. Later putting them on he finds out something extraordinary: the world he knows is just a cover for the real world, a B&W visage where aliens have invaded and are turning us into mindless consumers and unquestioningly obedient drones via subliminal messages on billboards and the like. Once he uncovers the aliens’ scheme of using television to hypnotise humanity, he tries to convince David to aid him in tearing down the nefarious plot. David doesn’t want any trouble, he won’t put the damn glasses on. Meg Foster (and her pale eyes) turns up as a woman Piper turns to when wanted by the authorities. George ‘Buck’ Flower plays a ...

Seaplane pilot Aaron Jakubenko and American-born wife Katrina Bowden take on a charter from sulky risk analyst Tim Kano and his wife Kimi Tsukakoshi. The plane runs into some trouble and crashes, leaving the foursome and crew member Te Kohe Tuhaka stranded in the middle of the ocean. And hey, is that a shark? Uh-oh…another shark has arrived. Now that’s a helluva thing.   Tedious 2021 Australian-lensed shark movie featuring a mixture of mostly American and Kiwi actors, none of whom register much, nor does the shark. Standing out as particularly bad is a typically sullen Tim Kano, by far one of the worst-ever actors from TV’s long-running “Neighbours” playing the grumpy, wimpy complainer of the group. Playing one of the most useless film characters I’ve come across in years, Kano spends the whole time looking like he’s been blackmailed to appear in the film. Admittedly, it’s not too far from how he chooses to play things on “Neighbours” as well. American soap actress Katrina Bo...

Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays a washed up investigative journalist and lapsed Catholic who ventures to a small Massachusetts town and witnesses unusual events involving a deaf-mute girl (Cricket Brown) claiming that the Virgin Mary speaks through her and has given her healing powers. Morgan doesn’t believe she’s the Virgin Mary, but becomes convinced something far more sinister is going on. Meanwhile a Bishop (Cary Elwes, murdering a Boston accent) and a visiting Monsignor (Diogo Morgado) investigate the supposed miracles. William Sadler plays a local priest who is also the girl’s protective maternal uncle.   A better and more interesting film than a synopsis likely makes it sound, this 2021 film from debut director Evan Spiliotopoulos (co-writer of the Dwayne Johnson-starring “Hercules” and the recent Disney live-action “Beauty and the Beast” ) is like a better version of one of those religious/Satanic-themed films that were churned out in the late 90s and early 00s. The idea of ...

Loosely based on truth, Kate Bosworth is the shit-kicking executive of a Texas-based oil company that wants farmer David Strathairn to sell the rights to part of his land. This same company has already polluted the soil nearby, so he’s not in any hurry to sell. This puts more pressure on Bosworth, especially when company HQ sends in sociopathic fixer Pablo Schreiber to get the job done by any means necessary, including frightening the hell out of Strathairn’s Hispanic friend and farm foreman Edward James Olmos. Eventually Straithairn seeks legal representation from high-priced but morally crusading lawyer Martin Sheen. Haley Joel Osment plays an oil company employee who gives Strathairn a low-ball offer.   Director/co-star Edward James Olmos (best known as an actor in “Stand and Deliver” and “Blade Runner” ) and his screenwriter Rob McEveety (a first-timer who produced the film) are clearly very passionate and angry. Unfortunately, they’ve let that anger and passion run riot o...