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Gun Hill Road (2011)
The best drama at Sundance 2011!
Hard to predict if the Sundance jury will vote for GUN HILL ROAD or not. But as an attendee who has screened virtually all of the other films in dramatic competition at this year's Sundance (2011), I can confidently state, hands down, that GUN HILL ROAD deserves to win. For what it's worth, I was one of only a handful of posters last year who accurately predicted the win for WINTERS BONE in the Dramatic competition (2010). GUN HILL ROAD, set in New York City's Bronx borough and primarily along the heavily traveled, real-life street of the same name, is the latest example of the outstanding performance skills of Esai Morales. He is long overdue for major awards acknowledgment and this film looks like a solid contender to be his ticket back into major awards consideration.
Future Shock (1994)
Shows lots of promise, delivers chills & chuckles, too
Okay, this film probably deserves 7 out of 10 stars, but I've voted for "10" to help offset the misleading rating from the handful of bozo's who gave this film zero or 1 star reviews. Each of the segments for this anthology shows great potential and promise for the talented filmmakers... three of whom have gone on to achieve notable success in big-time Hollywood productions. Performances range from rough all the way up to completely impressive, with notable turns by Bill Paxton, James Karen, Vivian Schilling and Brion James. Martin Kove may be a big melodramatic as the psychotic hypnotist with the bizarro strobe-lamp, and Lance August seems intentionally dimwitted as an unsuspecting lab victim. But overall, it's got some great laughs and some genuinely scary moments. Definitely worth seeing, so judge for yourself!
Samurai: The Last Warrior (2004)
Surprising insights into an ancient discipline
I thoroughly enjoyed the Tom Cruise film "THE LAST SAMURAI" and was understandably interested to hear about this documentary companion piece. Utilizing the research and on-camera explanations by Dr. Stephen Turnbull, the world's foremost authority on the Samurai and Japanese warfare history, this program skillfully paints a portrait of an amazing warrior philosophy. Original Samurai photographs (from the late 1800's), are combined with art prints, contemporary footage and scenes from famous Hollywood "Samurai" movies to complete the vision of these disciplined and spiritual fighters. The program balances the delivery of factual content (ala "The History Channel") with action footage and re-enactments to deliver a fully engaging and entertaining show. I was a little disappointed at the 66-minutes running time not being as much as I would prefer... but the DVD bonus features deliver another 20-minutes of great material to make this program a fantastic value and imminently collectible.
Off the Lip (2004)
Very cool surf film, hot action, adorable leading lady
Surf-ripping action on 60-foot waves are more than enough to make this film worth recommending. But OFF THE LIP is much more than its amazing surfing sequences. Leading lady Marguerite Moreau is infectiously charming, and her sassy attitude is pure fun. As a cub reporter sent to Hawaii in search of a legendary and reclusive surfer, Moreau encounters every obstacle imaginable, from drug runners to romance to the financial demise of her new employer. The plot never drags and always keeps you guessing, which makes this film truly enjoyable to jaded viewers such as myself, or to general audiences. The film's "R" rating (due to drug use, language and sexual content) may seem like a marketing obstacle if the audience were the same as "Blue Crush." But OFF THE LIP skews to both an older crowd, as well as to true surf-fans, and to both of these markets, language, drug use and sexual content are likely to be selling points! I'd say the film is probably PG-13 by contemporary TV Broadcast standards. Don't be shy to let the kids see this one... check it out!
Time Changer (2002)
Profound and visionary look at "the domino effect..."
TIME CHANGER is certainly not going to appeal to all audiences, especially teeny-boppers who may be atracted by the SCI-FI elements of the film's artwork and trailers. Yes, the film contains some very cool visual effects and a plot premise right out of H.G. Well's Time Machine. However, make no mistake, director Rich Christiano and his investors at Trinity Broadcasting Network are using this unique Sci-Fi premise to make a definitive spiritual point. Accordingly, I would suspect that TIME CHANGER will be strongly embraced by the Christian community and fans of movies such as "LEFT BEHIND" and "THE OMEGA CODE." The film is well made and especially well acted with a fine cast. For those seeking intellectually intriguing Christian entertainment, TIME CHANGER is the "2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY" of this emerging genre'. Mainstream audiences will also enjoy the premise and superb execution. But this is not likely to be the first choice of the rebellious teen-crowd. Regardless, I would recommend this film as a great video purchase or rental.
Razor Sharpe (2001)
Action Super-star for the New Millennium!
Okay, so this film suffers at times from it's low budget and sometimes uneven casting. But for sheer "showcasing" power, I haven't seen a film introduce a new action hero this well since "Pumping Iron" took Arnold Schwartzenegger from Austria to international celebrity. Troy Nikolo Ashford is a powerful screen presence: more muscular, more intense and certainly better looking than Vin Diesel and any of the other contemporary film tough-guys. Watch for this guy to get snagged by a major studio for some sort of "Conan The Barbarian" or "Scorpion King" role!