Shameless Self Expression

***** SPOILERS CONTAINED HERE WITHIN, YE HAVE BEEN WARNED ***** Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), her son John, and the T-800 terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) managed to stop Skynet from obliterating humankind. However, three years later whilst mother and son are in Guatemala relaxing, a T-800 terminator model completes its mission to kill John Connor. It seems Skynet still had a trick or two up its sleeve just in case the other plans failed. Some 20 or so years later in the now altered reality, an advanced model of terminator labelled Rev-9 (Gabriel Luna) has been sent back in time to Mexico City. This mixture of robotic and liquid metal terminator (that can also separate itself from its skeletal core, providing twice the threat) has its sights set on young Dani (Natalia Reyes). Just when it’s about to wipe Dani out, a saviour appears in the form of a kick-arse woman named Grace (Mackenzie Davis). Grace is actually a terminator of-sorts herself, but in her case, she’s a technologically

A private eye (Tell Schreiber, father of Liev) is investigating an insane asylum for the rich, run by a man of dubious medical credentials known only as ‘The Keeper’ (Christopher Lee). ‘The Keeper’ is particularly fond of using hypnosis for his treatment of patients. The cops (including police detective Ross Vezarian) are suspicious of ‘The Keeper’ as well, and the private dick and the cops join forces to figure out why the Underwood Asylum’s very wealthy patients all seem to die soon after their release. Sally Gray plays a patient with a person connection to our intrepid detective.   Deathly dull, poverty-stricken Canadian flick from 1976 directed by T.Y. Drake (writer of the mediocre “Terror Train” , in his sole directorial effort here) is pretty much a complete waste of time and mostly horribly acted. Bottom acting honours go to the one-and-done Ross Vezarian as a police detective, who initially is dreadfully dull, but who towards the end goes to the other extreme with some kind

The titular Ben (Lucas Hedges) is indeed back. A teenage drug addict, Ben shows up on his family’s doorstep on Christmas Eve. He’s out of rehab, and he’s not really supposed to be home without prior arrangement. His loving mother (Julia Roberts) is worried but also overjoyed to have her son for Christmas. Her husband (Courtney B. Vance) frankly wants nothing to do with the boy right now. Even his sister (Kathryn Newton) is a bit sceptical and wary. They manage to square it with Ben’s sponsor for him to stay for 24 hours, and his mother has very strict conditions about it that she will not back down from. This is not going to be an easy family reunion, troubling past will also need to be dealt with.   Movies about drug addicts are plentiful and tend to follow a fairly similar pattern plot-wise, even the best ones ( “Clean and Sober” , “Days of Wine and Roses” , and “The Lost Weekend” being my personal favourites) don’t really reinvent the wheel. This 2019 film from writer-director

It’s Purge Night and an election year, as Senator Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Michell) runs a campaign that is particularly emphasising a desire to put an end to Purge Night. Her opposition, Rev. Eldridge Owens (a terrible Kyle Secor) is an ultra-Conservative backed by The New Founding Fathers and their venal, sinister leader Caleb Warrens (Raymond J. Barry). Roan makes the bold/stubborn/idiotic decision to spend Purge Night at her home as opposed to bunkering down in complete safety. She does have security detail, including familiar face Lee Barnes (Frank Grillo) who is something of an expert at surviving Purge Night. Unfortunately, it’s not long before the rest of the security team is wiped out by someone clearly looking to silence Roan permanently. Eventually they find themselves alongside a convenience store owner (Mykelti Williamson) whilst fending off political assassination attempts and creepy Purge participants (chiefly a pair of bratty but violent youngsters, one played by Brittan