— by WILLIAM STERR — Crispin Glover is an unusual actor. Some call him “genius.” Other think he’s a “madman.” Perhaps he’s both. But whatever he is, he has a talent for picking bizarre roles. In “A Blind Bargain,” he has chosen another unusual vehicle and warped chara[...]
Author Archive
Review: The Drowned
— by WILLIAM STERR — “Cue the soundtrack.” This is the first big design error in the horror flick “The Drowned.” From the very first frames, we are assaulted with an ominous, cacophonous, hodgepodge of sounds, including striking gongs, cat-like cries, and eventually quasi-human v[...]
Review: The Oval Portrait
— by WILLIAM STERR — Lush. There was a time – the late 1930s to early 1950s – when Hollywood made pictures that were lush in their photography (typically B&W), their orchestral scores, and the attention to period details. That is not to say that films lack these characteristics [...]
Review: Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe
— by WILLIAM STERR — There have been a number of great tenors whohave interpreted Italian Opera in the last few decades. Of course, “The Three Tenors” immediately come to mind. But there is a fourth, still active today: Andrea Bocelli. Bocelli, known commonly as “The Blind Tenor,[...]
Review: Borderline
— by WILLIAM STERR — The mind is a wonderful – and terrible – thing. When it works properly we are capable of incredible acts of creation, altruism, and organization. But when something goes wrong… “Borderline” introduces us to Paul Duerson (Ray Nicholson – “Smile 2”)[...]
Review: Checkpoint Zoo
— by WILLIAM STERR — Darkness. The low growl of a big cat, nearby. A flashlight illuminates a lion in a cage, trying to get its claws at a man standing only inches away. This is how a documentary covering the rescue of animals from a Kharkiv zoo during the early days of the Russian [&hel[...]
Review: The Thursday Murder Club
— by WILLIAM STERR — The idea of moving into a “retirement home” is anathema to most people who are younger and still healthy. However, for some of us, personal declining health and/or mental capacity, or that of a loved partner, make assisted living an acceptable option. This is esp[...]
Review: Rather
— by WILLIAM STERR — Edward R. Murrow. Walter Cronkite. Dan Rather. Three names from the “Tiffany” days of CBS News. Those days are gone, and have been for some time. The most recent blow came with the sale of Paramount (which in turn owns CBS), owned by Sheri Redstone, to Skydance, [...]
Review: The Final Run
— by WILLIAM STERR — What ever happened to those guys who used to run drugs from Mexico into the States decades ago? Well, one of them, Pierce Butler (Jeff Fahey – “Lawnmower Man”), settled down and became a shrimp fisherman on the South Carolina Coast. He raised a family, but [...]
Review: 40 Acres
— by WILLIAM STERR — The horror genre has been awash in dystopian stories of isolated bands of humans, usually threatened by masses of flesh-hungry zombies. I actually miss the zombies of my childhood: slow-moving creatures reanimated by evil sorcerers for a variety of purposes. One of t[...]
Review: Row
— by WILLIAM STERR — Have you ever dreamed of accomplishing some great feat of strength, endurance, or sheer craziness that would get you in the record books? If so, this story might change your mind. Megan (Bella Dayne – “Humans”), Lexi (Sophie Skelton – “Stalker”), [...]
Review: Don’t Tell Larry
— by WILLIAM STERR — This is the story of the “weird guy” who can be found in every organization. He or she may be in an office, on the factory floor, or in the classroom. But wherever they are, personal eccentricities mean they’re not quite a normal fit. Susan (Patty Guggenheim) h[...]
Review: House of Abraham
— by WILLIAM STERR — When Dee was a young girl, she came home one day and found her mother lying in bed, dead by suicide. Now, almost 40 years later, Dee (Natasha Henstridge), is on her way to an exclusive weekend at a very unusual secluded retreat: The House of Abraham. Having passed th[...]